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The Witcher 3 was apparently never planned for Linux

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Sad news again (sorry). Apparently The Witcher 3 was never actually planned for Linux which makes things a bit odd.

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Hmmm, "never were any" huh. Let's have a recap shall we.

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The Witcher 3 was originally confirmed by a big front-page "coming to SteamOS" banner on Steam. This was up for a while, but it got pulled down and no announcement was ever made by Valve or the game developer about it. Everyone went silent on it.

Much later the game was again featured in Steam's big SteamOS sale. At this time I did note it was the only game not to specifically state it on the Steam store page, when all the others confirmed it somehow.

I reached out to both GOG and CD PROJEKT RED each time these happened, and I never got a reply.

I have now personally reached out to GOG for answers, although they never replied to me specifically before. Slightly annoying, as they have replied to a few other random people through emails when asking about it, but never to me directly. I am hoping they are now willing to get it properly cleared up.

This whole situation has been one odd thing after another.

What I imagine, is that it was planned, but was later dropped due to unforeseen issues. The problem here, is as always, the lack of communication. Neither party will want to blame the other, as it will sour business relations. It's likely both Valve and CDPR are at fault for it in some way or another.

The problem here is how utterly incompetent are they (either or both of them) to have it featured twice like this? Especially since the second time was specifically a sale to get people to buy it to play it on SteamOS directly.

The whole thing bloody stinks. I don't like speaking writing like this, but that's my honest opinion on the matter. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial
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57 comments
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bolokanar Sep 3, 2016
Quoting: skinnyrafThe latest response from CD Project Red (not GOG) was that the issue is the lack of talent, as everyone is focused on Cyberpunk.

This means the only chance is a dedicated porting developer. Feral, Aspyr, are you there?

Feral is collecting game requests: https://www.facebook.com/feralinteractive/photos/a.910655945625576.1073741862.118120444879134/1259910794033421/?type=3&permPage=1


Last edited by bolokanar on 3 September 2016 at 1:48 pm UTC
Mohandevir Sep 3, 2016
Still there is only one Word that comes to my mind to describe this fiasco: Lame!
oldrocker99 Sep 3, 2016
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I notice that Witcher 3 has a "garbage" rating on winehq: https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=16884
[email protected] Sep 4, 2016
Quoting: oldrocker99I notice that Witcher 3 has a "garbage" rating on winehq: https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=16884

That's because wine atm, does not emulate DX11/12.

I don't do wine though. Anything that does not have native or at least a good supported wrapper with a proper emulation engine is out.


Last edited by [email protected] on 4 September 2016 at 6:03 am UTC
btorville Sep 4, 2016
That Steam banner was hardly confirmation and if proof of that was really needed, the fact that it was taken down a scant hour after it first went up should be enough that it was a mistake on Steam's part.

Now this whole brou-ha-ha that refuses to die being stirred up again by some stupid comments from someone at GoG support... Jeez! Hell even the community manager, Marcin Momot isn't always authorized to speak officially for CDPR.

GoG is nothing more than a storefront for CDPR. They have no authority to make statements, hence why it's been retracted. They're in no position to make official statements for CDPR whatsoever.

Just face the facts. A Linux version, hell even a Mac version, just isn't going to happen any more than a port to last-gen consoles. It's just not cost-effective for them to even bother. Sales for the first half of this year are HALF of what they were last year, even with the Blood and Wine expansion and the Game of the Year edition isn't likely to pick things up much better during the second half.

The Witcher 3 is done. Stick a freaking fork in it and move on. Still can't get enough? Then go place some pre-orders on those damn statues they've got coming out of Geralt, Ciri, Yen and Triss. While you're at it, maybe buy some of the action figures, mugs and T-shirts too. Oh and don't forget that microtransaction from hell, the Online Gwent game.

But Linux? Just keep dreaming. It's not coming.
[email protected] Sep 4, 2016
Quoting: btorvilleThat Steam banner was hardly confirmation and if proof of that was really needed, the fact that it was taken down a scant hour after it first went up should be enough that it was a mistake on Steam's part.

Now this whole brou-ha-ha that refuses to die being stirred up again by some stupid comments from someone at GoG support... Jeez! Hell even the community manager, Marcin Momot isn't always authorized to speak officially for CDPR.

GoG is nothing more than a storefront for CDPR. They have no authority to make statements, hence why it's been retracted. They're in no position to make official statements for CDPR whatsoever.

Just face the facts. A Linux version, hell even a Mac version, just isn't going to happen any more than a port to last-gen consoles. It's just not cost-effective for them to even bother. Sales for the first half of this year are HALF of what they were last year, even with the Blood and Wine expansion and the Game of the Year edition isn't likely to pick things up much better during the second half.

The Witcher 3 is done. Stick a freaking fork in it and move on. Still can't get enough? Then go place some pre-orders on those damn statues they've got coming out of Geralt, Ciri, Yen and Triss. While you're at it, maybe buy some of the action figures, mugs and T-shirts too. Oh and don't forget that microtransaction from hell, the Online Gwent game.

But Linux? Just keep dreaming. It's not coming.

That's what they said about Tomb Raider.. and Life is Strange and just about any other title currently out on Linux. I know it's the wet dream of people who have their whole life staked on a single platform. But... this isn't the Emerald City. It's Earth. It exists. It's possible.
svartalf Dec 16, 2016
As an observation to those saying "it's done"...

It's funny, you know...

I never expected SquareEnix to get a "clue" and allow even a porting interest the option to make one of their titles for SteamBox/Linux...yet...here...we...are. I've been playing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

I never expected to see CodeMasters' Overlord or Overlord II on SteamBox/Linux...yet...here...we...are. I've been playing BOTH of them on my laptop and desktop, in their full glory.

It's advised to shut the hell up if you think it's "done"- you'd be wrong about that. Now, had you just left it at "unlikely" with reasons of "money not being there for the conversion" (there IS a market...) or similar...I'd believe you and have left well enough alone and said nothing. But nooo... Someone had to, yet again, make stupid remarks that were based of of feels instead of facts...about things they clearly don't know as much as they'd like you to believe they do.
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