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Ubisoft just broke their games on Linux desktop and Steam Deck

By - | Views: 127,570

Update 21:17: Looks like Proton developers have updated the "bleeding-edge" Beta for Proton Experimental, that works around the issue. Note: using it can cause other issues, the Beta doesn't have a lot of testing, you've been warned.

If you go into the Properties on Proton Experimental in your Steam Library, and opt into the "bleeding-edge" Beta, then set your Ubisoft games to use Proton Experimental it will fix it for now until a proper Proton update is out. 

Update 22:11: Valve released a Proton Experimental (no Beta needed) fix for this.


Original article below

Third-party launchers on Steam are once again being a massive nuisance. First it was EA breaking everything on Linux and Steam Deck and now it's Ubisoft telling everyone to hold their beer.

Valve fixed the EA App in Proton after a while, and it's likely we're going to need to wait on a fix from Valve again for whatever Ubisoft changed in the latest Ubisoft Connect update.

When you go to launch any game on desktop Linux or Steam Deck that uses Ubisoft Connect, it will do an update and then you'll be greeted with this:

That picture above is from my Fedora Linux desktop trying Ghost Recon Breakpoint today.

After testing The Division 2, Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Ghost Recon Breakpoint on my Steam Deck too, they all also gave the exact same problem as you'll see in the screenshot below from my Steam Deck:

So it seems that every title that uses Ubisoft Connect, is now left broken on Linux desktop and Steam Deck. This comes only two weeks after Ubisoft fixed The Division 2 for Steam Deck / Linux. Meanwhile, Breakpoint still needs manual fixes.

Why do developers and publishers keep forcing these absolutely useless third-party launchers on us? Never once have I, or anyone I've spoken to, actually wanted them. They only ever cause problems and solve basically nothing that Steam cannot already do directly.

I've logged an official bug report with Valve and notified their developers about it.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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Mohandevir Feb 1, 2023
Because they want your data! Anti-piracy measure? Because Steam permits offline play? It's become even more annoying than DRM (launcher in a launcher).

Edit: Thank you Ubisoft for not taking the time to test against Proton and make sure Valve doesn't have the time to make the corrections, before updating!


Last edited by Mohandevir on 1 February 2023 at 4:05 pm UTC
dpanter Feb 1, 2023
Ubisoft itself is the unrecoverable error.
Freejack Feb 1, 2023
Appears they have a game update that they have not gotten up yet or sent out.

[ 1092] 2023-02-01 10:45:03 [ 1132] INFO GameStartConnectionHandler.cpp (493) Game starter version mismatch: 10799 != 10807

Version mismatch.

This also breaks it across every platform not just Linux.


Last edited by Freejack on 1 February 2023 at 4:09 pm UTC
Ehvis Feb 1, 2023
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Waaaay back in the early days of Steam on Linux, I decided to not spend money on anything with 3rd party dependencies. In the years since then it has been made clear many times that this was the right decision. So happy to say that this does not affect me.
wurschti Feb 1, 2023
I have seen really great deals on Steam from both EA and Ubisoft. Because of their shitty practices I did not get any of them. These incidents don't make me want to either.
christofin Feb 1, 2023
Why do they force their launchers? Because these recycled Steam releases are literally just advertisements for the Ubisoft launcher, where they REALLY want you to end up at in the long-run.

Seriously, the Steam releases we've been getting have forced DRM and forced Uplay, no Steam Achievements, no trading cards, just no effort in whatsoever. They're just there so you have to put Uplay on your computer.

Case in point: The racing game they just announced yesterday has a nice little EGS logo at the end of the trailer. Ubisoft doesn't give a single crap about their Steam customers. These rereleases of old games is just another ploy to nickel and dime Steam users.
Dan_igrok Feb 1, 2023
I hate to say this, but Ubisoft games are the only ones I'm tempted to play as a pirate copy. Just because they don't have 3rd party launchers and therefore work better on Linux! That's not how it's supposed to work !
hardpenguin Feb 1, 2023
Again? Omg
JustinWood Feb 1, 2023
Quoting: MohandevirBecause they want your data! Anti-piracy measure? Because Steam permits offline play? It's become even more annoying than DRM (launcher in a launcher).

Edit: Thank you Ubisoft for not taking the time to test against Proton and make sure Valve doesn't have the time to make the corrections, before updating!

Considering all of their recent double dips (Read: Sales on EGS and through Ubisoft Connect have dipped to the point where we're willing to let Valve take their cut for some extra profits) have been the most bare bones efforts, I'm not surprised in the slightest that (seemingly) no effort was made to test for Linux/Proton compatibility. If anything, I'm sure that the consensus was "If it breaks, so what? Valve will fix it for us".
StalePopcorn Feb 1, 2023
I'm gonna curse…just not here
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