How do I stop Game Center unwanted animations/pop-ups?

When I open a game, a stupid Game Center pops up at the top of the screen distracting me, and covering part of the game. Swiping it away doesn't help as it opens again every time switch back to the game. It had disappeared for a long time, but has come back with a vengeance with iOS 18 on my 15 Pro iPhone.

Cannot find any setting that will kill it off, and most 'solutions' suggest turning off Game Center entirely. I just want the stupid distracting animation to cease bothering me. Any suggestions?