Some versions of Shank, especially cracked or older retail versions, store the language preference in the Windows Registry. Be very careful with this method—incorrect changes to the registry can affect your system.
In the right panel, look for a String value named Language or Locale.
Double-click it. Change the Value data from ru, rus, or russian to en or english.
If the value doesn't exist, right-click in the right panel, select New > String Value, name it Language, and set the value to en.
Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
Launch the game.
So, you’ve just installed Shank, the cult-classic 2D action game by Klei Entertainment. You were excited to dive into the violent, stylish world of a vengeful ex-hitman. But when you launched the game, everything was in Russian. The menus, the subtitles, the prompts—all Cyrillic.
Don’t panic. You are not alone. This is a common issue for PC gamers who download Shank from various sources (digital platforms, repacks, or older discs). The game sometimes defaults to Russian based on your system region or because of a specific cracked configuration file.
Fortunately, changing the language from Russian back to English (or any other language) is simple. This guide provides four proven methods to solve the problem.
If you’ve tried all methods and the game is still in Russian, consider these last resorts:
Full default path: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Shank\Saved Games shank pc how to change language from russian
Look for a file named settings.ini or config.ini. If you don't see file extensions, it will just be called settings.
Open the file with Notepad. Right-click the file, select "Open with," and choose Notepad.
Find the language line. Inside the file, look for a line that says:
Change it to English. Edit the line to read:
If the line does not exist, add this new line anywhere in the file:
Language=EN
Save the file. Go to File > Save (or press Ctrl+S). Close Notepad.
Right-click the settings.ini file, go to Properties, and check "Read-only." This prevents the game from reverting the language back to Russian when it launches. Click OK.
Launch Shank. The menus should now be in English.
Troubleshooting: If you cannot find the
AppDatafolder, you can also check the game's installation directory (e.g.,C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Shank). Look for aconfig.iniorlocalization.txtfile there and repeat the steps.
If none of the above methods work, the Russian version may have overwritten the English localization files entirely. You will need to replace them. Some versions of Shank , especially cracked or
If the option is missing or greyed out, proceed to manual methods.
In some pirated or modified versions of the game, the audio files themselves may have been replaced. Unfortunately, if you have verified your files via Steam (Method 1) and the audio is still Russian, you may need to re-download the English voice-over pack.
However, for most legitimate Steam copies, Method 2 (editing the .ini file) is the permanent solution. Shank is notorious for resetting the language in the menu, but the .ini file forces the game to obey your choice.
To change the language in on PC from Russian to English, you can generally use Steam settings or manual registry edits. Since the game was released in various regions with different localization packages, the method depends on your version of the game. Method 1: Using Steam Properties (Recommended)
If you own the game on Steam, this is the most direct way to trigger a language download. Close the game completely. Open your Steam Library.
Right-click on Shank in your game list and select Properties. Navigate to the Language tab on the left sidebar. Select English from the dropdown menu.
Steam will automatically download the necessary language files. Wait for the update to finish before relaunching. Method 2: Manual Registry Edit
If the language tab is missing or the game remains in Russian, you may need to force the change in the Windows Registry.
Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Klei\Shank. In the right panel, look for a String
Note: If you don't see "Klei," look for "Electronic Arts" or the game name directly under "Software". Find the entry named Language or Locale.
Double-click it and change the "Value data" from Russian (or ru) to English (or en_US).
Click OK and restart your computer for the change to take effect. Method 3: In-Game Menu Navigation (Blind)
To change the language of on PC from Russian to English, you can generally use Steam's built-in settings or manually edit the game's configuration files. Method 1: Steam Properties (Recommended)
If you are using the Steam version of the game, this is the most direct method: Exit the game completely. Steam Library Right-click in the list of games and select Properties Navigate to the tab on the left sidebar. from the dropdown menu.
Steam may download a small update to replace the Russian localization files with English ones. Method 2: Edit Configuration Files
If the Steam method is unavailable or you have a different version of the game, you can attempt to force the language change through the configuration files: Locate the File : Go to the game's installation folder (typically ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Shank ). Look for files with an extension. Modify Language Settings : Open the configuration file with . Look for a line that says Language=russian Culture=ru and change it to Language=english Culture=en Save and Set to Read-Only
: Save the file. To prevent the game from overwriting your change, right-click the file, select Properties , and click Method 3: Registry Editor (Advanced)
If the game was installed via a launcher that doesn't provide easy language toggles, you can use the Windows Registry Editor:
This is the standard way to fix the language issue for the PC version.
settings.ini.language=russianlanguage=english