Bazzite Linux founder releases statement asking GPD to cease using their name

The story of GPD and Bazzite Linux continues, with the founder of Bazzite releasing a fresh statement making it clear there's nothing happening between them.

Who? GPD are a Chinese hardware vendor that makes various somewhat popular handheld PCs like the GPD WIN, GPD Pocket and so on. They've been regularly covered by big YouTubers and other news sites.

Previously, Bazzite Linux founder Kyle Gospodnetich posted in the official Bazzite Discord to make it clear they were not working together as previously covered here on GamingOnLinux, but now Gospodnetich has put up a longer and even clearer statement on the Bazzite Forum.

The full statement from Gospodnetich:

Recently, GPD made a statement that an “official Adaptation” of Bazzite is happening for the GPD Win5, and that we have received hardware from them.

I want to make clear that not only have we not received hardware from them, we have no recent contact with GPD of any kind. A GPD representative appears to be directing their users to a discord other than our own for support as well. The Bazzite Team will never ask you to go to a discord server other than our own for support.

Please exercise caution, whatever they’re working on is entirely unofficial and out of our control, and will not be supported by us in any way. We ask GPD to cease using the Bazzite name, logos, or other intellectual property until this matter is resolved.

Again, we knew GPD wanted this to be a thing on their hardware, and their official page on the GPD WIN 5 still mentions Bazzite multiple times and even includes a section on the Bazzite team towards the bottom making it all look quite official. A GPD representative on Reddit even said the Bazzite team had a device "since this week" 5 days ago but clearly not.

What a strange situation. We could have written it off as GPD just wanting to do it, so they're downloading Bazzite and putting it on their devices themselves - but to claim they're working with Bazzite directly and sending them hardware, when the Bazzite team claim otherwise, it's thoroughly strange.