diff --git a/src/Metin2Launcher/Assets/Branding/launcher-bg.png b/src/Metin2Launcher/Assets/Branding/launcher-bg.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7235420
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/Metin2Launcher/Assets/Branding/launcher-bg.png differ
diff --git a/src/Metin2Launcher/Metin2Launcher.csproj b/src/Metin2Launcher/Metin2Launcher.csproj
index 867253b..653a2f3 100644
--- a/src/Metin2Launcher/Metin2Launcher.csproj
+++ b/src/Metin2Launcher/Metin2Launcher.csproj
@@ -26,4 +26,8 @@
     <EmbeddedResource Include="Localization\en.json" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <AvaloniaResource Include="Assets\**\*.png" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
 </Project>
diff --git a/src/Metin2Launcher/Program.cs b/src/Metin2Launcher/Program.cs
index 8d53caf..97a6974 100644
--- a/src/Metin2Launcher/Program.cs
+++ b/src/Metin2Launcher/Program.cs
@@ -29,6 +29,30 @@ public static class Program
         Log.SetLogFilePath(Path.Combine(stateDir, "launcher.log"));
         Log.Info($"metin2 launcher starting in {clientRoot}");
 
+        // Single-instance guard: two launchers running in the same install
+        // dir race on the staging files and blow up with "The process cannot
+        // access the file ... because it is being used by another process".
+        // Use a per-install-dir file lock (not a named mutex — named mutexes
+        // behave differently across Wine prefixes and Windows sessions). The
+        // lock is released when the process exits.
+        FileStream? instanceLock = null;
+        try
+        {
+            var lockPath = Path.Combine(stateDir, "launcher.lock");
+            instanceLock = new FileStream(
+                lockPath,
+                FileMode.OpenOrCreate,
+                FileAccess.ReadWrite,
+                FileShare.None,
+                bufferSize: 1,
+                FileOptions.DeleteOnClose);
+        }
+        catch (IOException)
+        {
+            Log.Error($"another Metin2Launcher is already running in {clientRoot} — refusing to start a second instance");
+            return 3;
+        }
+
         if (args.Contains("--nogui"))
         {
             return RunHeadlessAsync(clientRoot, args).GetAwaiter().GetResult();
diff --git a/src/Metin2Launcher/UI/MainWindow.axaml b/src/Metin2Launcher/UI/MainWindow.axaml
index 32194ac..9d20883 100644
--- a/src/Metin2Launcher/UI/MainWindow.axaml
+++ b/src/Metin2Launcher/UI/MainWindow.axaml
@@ -26,8 +26,12 @@
       <GradientStop Offset="1.0" Color="#8B0000"/>
     </LinearGradientBrush>
 
-    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="LeftColumnBrush" Color="#17171B"/>
-    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="RightColumnBrush" Color="#0F0F12"/>
+    <!-- Column brushes are semi-transparent so the branding image bleeds -->
+    <!-- through while still keeping text legible. The left column sits over -->
+    <!-- the status widgets so it's a bit opaquer; the right column is the -->
+    <!-- news/changelog and stays darker to avoid image-through-text. -->
+    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="LeftColumnBrush" Color="#17171B" Opacity="0.78"/>
+    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="RightColumnBrush" Color="#0F0F12" Opacity="0.68"/>
     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="AccentBrush" Color="#C41515"/>
     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="MutedTextBrush" Color="#888892"/>
     <SolidColorBrush x:Key="BodyTextBrush" Color="#E0E0E4"/>
@@ -87,6 +91,18 @@
     </Style>
   </Window.Styles>
 
+  <Grid>
+    <!-- Full-window branding image, hand-authored for the m2pack release. -->
+    <!-- Sits behind the banner + body grid; the dark column brushes above it -->
+    <!-- give the status and news columns their own legible background while -->
+    <!-- the banner fades the top into the crimson header. -->
+    <Image Source="avares://Metin2Launcher/Assets/Branding/launcher-bg.png"
+           Stretch="UniformToFill"
+           HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
+           VerticalAlignment="Stretch"/>
+    <!-- Dim overlay so text on the image reads reliably. -->
+    <Rectangle Fill="#000000" Opacity="0.35"/>
+
   <Grid RowDefinitions="110,*">
     <!-- Banner -->
     <Border Grid.Row="0" Background="{StaticResource BannerGradient}">
@@ -232,4 +248,5 @@
       </Border>
     </Grid>
   </Grid>
+  </Grid>
 </Window>