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Overkill drops Linux support for PAYDAY 2

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PAYDAY 2 came to Linux officially back in 2016 but as of today they've removed support for it, so it will no longer see updates on the Native Linux version.

They're also bringing the game to the Epic Games Store, although not exclusive, as it will remain on Steam and PAYDAY 3 will also be on Steam. As for why they're removing official Linux support they said this:

Note that Linux users will not receive this update or any following updates coming to PC. In addition, Linux players will be unable to matchmake with other PC clients following this update.
We tried to find a solution, but ultimately found it unfeasible due to the Linux version being on an older version of the PAYDAY 2 engine.

It does, however, still work quite well with the Windows version via Steam Play Proton on desktop Linux and is Steam Deck Verified against the Windows version in Proton. So while it's a loss of support for their Native build, it's still fully playable on Linux.

We've seen this a few times over the years, due to a mixture of reasons but the ultimate reason is pretty much the same as always — Linux and Steam Deck together hold a less than 2% user share on Steam. For many developers, right now, it's not worth the extra overhead to continue Native support until there's more of a market.

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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77 comments
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PublicNuisance Jun 9, 2023
It's moves like this that are making me support FOSS games more. They usually actually care about Linux support regardless of financials.
Mountain Man Jun 9, 2023
Seems a lot of developers are counting on Proton to give them zero effort access to the Linux market. The good news is that Proton works extremely well. The bad news is... hmmm... Is there bad news? I'm not sure.
pleasereadthemanual Jun 10, 2023
Quoting: Mountain ManSeems a lot of developers are counting on Proton to give them zero effort access to the Linux market. The good news is that Proton works extremely well. The bad news is... hmmm... Is there bad news? I'm not sure.
Developers get to claim the benefits of supporting Linux without needing to worry if an update breaks support every few weeks because they don't officially support it, and so they don't test new updates. Players aren't entitled to complain about it because the game only supports Windows.

I don't know if "works extremely well" reflects my experience with Proton. Games take a minute or longer to startup while they compile shaders, because otherwise the game would be jittery the entire time, and sometimes it is anyway. It mostly works, I'll certainly give it that, and I'd rather it worked than didn't, but there's a long way to go until it works extremely well on most of the games I play (multiplayer games and DRM-encumbered visual novels sold outside of Steam).
TheRiddick Jun 10, 2023
Syncing up engine versions between platforms is a nightmare apparently for developers. I see this problem cropping up continuously with games that release for Linux and Windows or MacOS and Windows etc...
slaapliedje Jun 10, 2023
Quoting: elmapul
Quoting: slaapliedje
Quoting: elmapul
Quoting: slaapliedjeI think the idea is

there is no idea, the average joe knows jack shit about computers, he probably dont know what an source code is, or open source and call game modifications "mods" even if the mod was done with full source code access.
we dont call that mods, its "forks".

i own a few physical media games, and let me tell you, i dont know how to rip their content to save my life.
So any of tge open source wngines that need data are useless to you? I still have my Quake 1 CD somewhere... totally easy to download one of the updated engines and copy tge files off the disk. Hell, I install Doom on my Amigas and Atari Falcon this way.

I don't talk to enough normal people these days, but pretty sure most don't mod their games that much, except maybe Skyrim, which is a meh experience without them.
no, the ones i own are for n64 and ds , i dont know how to rip then to backup and the n64 ones arent working anymore, so having then in physical media is useless from a preservation point of view.

to be fair i have some pc games as well.
Generally DeOxit will help with getting old carts working again. There are ways to rip such things, though I think at this point most of those will have been ripped / archived by now.
slaapliedje Jun 10, 2023
Quoting: JordanPlayz158
Quoting: Guest
Quoting: DrMcCoyInstead, you need to make portability a feature of your code outright, you need to make the same single codebase run on all the individual platforms. No forks, just one portable repository that can run everywhere. That's not new knowledge either, we've known that for decades!

Proton totally nuked this concept.
There is only one platform for personal computer gaming and it's DirectX.
Even Apple gave up dedicated ports, they went fully Wine.
Quoting: slaapliedje
Quoting: GroganI don't sympathize at all, moreover, these "corporations" are adversaries to me. They hate their customers and don't deserve to have any.

You put something out, that people bought in good faith and are still using, you bloody well fix it. You don't just say "too bad, we're adding new shitware to our game and have decided to exclude you"
Pretty much. It is far worse in my mind to say you are going to support a port, and then drop support while still updating the other platforms, than it is to never support Linux in the first place.

I'll just make sure to not buy anything from them later. Granted I never got around to playing Payback 2...
Honestly, this is likely a coincidence but it is funny, literally yesterday Epic Games gives away PAYDAY 2 for free and on that same day, Linux support is dropped
I honestly don't know what happened, Epic Games used to be one of the more pro Linux development studios. Up until Unreal Tournament 2004, they'd have Linux clients. Then the debacle of Unreal Tournament III... Granted their naming for those are as horrible as Windows versions...
Whitewolfe80 Jun 10, 2023
Quoting: TurkeysteaksVery disappointed with this to be honest. Payday 2 was one of the first games I was amazed to have linux support, I played it so much at that point.

I understand their reasoning, though in my opinion it doesn't bode well for Payday 3.

Let's be honest Linux native games outside of indie games are dead it's going to be proton or you don't get to play from now on. Thankfully the steam deck success could change that but as long as valve are fitting the bill for dxvk vulkan and proton. Native triple a games are a thing of the past. Now that feral are dead on Linux
Whitewolfe80 Jun 10, 2023
Quoting: Mountain ManSeems a lot of developers are counting on Proton to give them zero effort access to the Linux market. The good news is that Proton works extremely well. The bad news is... hmmm... Is there bad news? I'm not sure.

It does rely on steam continued support for proton dxvk and vulkan as well as continued funding for Mesa. Now at the minute the steam deck has been a success thank god but much like Google valve has form for getting bored and dropping projects see steam controller steam link and steam boxes
Purple Library Guy Jun 10, 2023
Quoting: Whitewolfe80Native triple a games are a thing of the past.
Were native triple A games ever really a thing of the present?


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 10 June 2023 at 4:30 pm UTC
Eike Jun 10, 2023
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Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: Whitewolfe80Native triple a games are a thing of the past.
Were native triple A games every really a thing of the present?

Not regularly, but a few did happen. I don't know if Total War counts as triple A, but Half-Life (Alyx) sure does.


Last edited by Eike on 10 June 2023 at 9:41 am UTC
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