Files the Launcher Creates

Everything goes in the game's own user-data folder: %APPDATA%\skate3 normally, or the game folder itself in portable mode. launcher.ini and the downloaded known-issues list always stay in %APPDATA%\skate3, so the launcher can find the game.

Path	What it is
settings.toml	The game's config; edited in place, and only the keys you change.
settings.toml.launcher-backup	One-time copy of your config from before the launcher first changed it.
launcher.ini	Launcher-only options (keep open, tray, game path, backup count, update and Discord settings). Always in %APPDATA%\skate3.
launcher-known-issues.txt	Cached copy of the known-issues list. Always in %APPDATA%\skate3.
launcher-profiles\*.toml	Your profiles: plain key = value files you can share or edit.
launcher-history\settings-<date>.toml	Last 15 versions of settings.toml.
launcher-backups\saves-<date>-<auto/manual/pre-restore>.zip	Save backups.
launcher-benchmarks.csv	Benchmark results.
launcher-game-baseline.txt	Your own game-file hashes, if you saved a baseline.
settings.toml.benchmark-backup	Only exists while a benchmark or mod test is running. The launcher puts it back when the game closes, or the next time the launcher starts.

Next to skate3.exe:

Path	What it is
mods\<mod name>\	Installed mods. mods\modlist.txt is the load order.
mods\.active-game\	The modded game folder (hard links), rebuilt when your mods change.
recomp-backups\	The files each recomp update replaced, for rollback (newest 3 kept).

The launcher also writes:

• The Windows GPU preference value for skate3.exe in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\DirectX\UserGpuPreferences, only if you change it.
• Desktop shortcuts and bug-report zips, only when you click those buttons.
• Steam's shortcuts.vdf and grid artwork, only when you use Add to Steam.
• The Windows crash-dump setting for skate3.exe (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps\skate3.exe), only when you click Keep crash dumps and approve the admin prompt.

It never modifies the game folder. It only replaces skate3.exe and the recomp's other files when you install or roll back an update on the Game files page.