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PayPalWill 2026 truly be the real year of Linux gaming on the desktop? Perhaps! And now even GOG are hiring towards building up their Linux support for GOG Galaxy.
We already knew that GOG were going to be looking more seriously at Linux, as covered here previously on GamingOnLinux. However, they're going a step further as noted in their job listing on how "Linux is the next major frontier".
The job listing notes the GOG team are looking for "a Senior Engineer who will help shape GOG GALAXY’s architecture, tooling, and development standards with Linux in mind from day one". It's not just Linux though, it's about expanding and improving GOG Galaxy as a whole but the job will be suitable for anyone who feels they will be "excited about building complex desktop software, shaping a Linux platform strategy, and having a tangible impact on a product used by millions of gamers".
The main responsibilities for the job:
- Develop and optimize the GOG GALAXY desktop application with a strong focus on performance, stability and user experience
- Build and maintain GOG GALAXY on Linux, while collaborating on cross-platform solutions (Windows / macOS)
- Design, implement and review core C++ components and system-level integrations
- Work closely with backend, frontend and product teams to deliver end-to-end features
- Improve automated testing, CI pipelines and release confidence
- Actively use and promote AI-assisted development tools to increase team efficiency and code quality
You'll need some real strong coding skills for this one.
Thankfully, you don't need to move over to where GOG is based, as they do note they offer remote working for it.
What will be truly interesting to see is if GOG end up making use of Wine / Proton. All the tech is open source and ready to be used. GOG already stock Native Linux games that you need to manually download or use tools like the Heroic Games Launcher, so it would be quite the expansion for them.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
About the author - Liam Dawe
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked 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.
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20 comments
RussianNeuroMancer 8 hours ago
15 years since this conversation with former GOG head of support happened: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2017/08/looks-like-gog-galaxy-wont-come-to-linux-any-time-soon-as-its-not-a-priority/?comment_id=100651
It took them a long time.
It took them a long time.
6 Likes
mr-victory 8 hours ago
about time I guess?
1 Likes
hardpenguin 8 hours ago
Fun story time!
Back when I worked at GOG (over 8 years ago) as their Linux gaming expert the company hired a highly qualified Linux engineer for the GOG Galaxy team. As far as I know the poor fellow never got to do anything Linux-related in his job. Still, he was a fun friend to talk Linux with.
There were a couple of us Linux gamers back then at GOG. Unfortunately not among the decision makers 🙂.
Last edited by hardpenguin on 27 Jan 2026 at 10:35 am UTC
Back when I worked at GOG (over 8 years ago) as their Linux gaming expert the company hired a highly qualified Linux engineer for the GOG Galaxy team. As far as I know the poor fellow never got to do anything Linux-related in his job. Still, he was a fun friend to talk Linux with.
There were a couple of us Linux gamers back then at GOG. Unfortunately not among the decision makers 🙂.
Last edited by hardpenguin on 27 Jan 2026 at 10:35 am UTC
13 Likes
The rest of that looks fine... but doesn't AI actively reduce developer efficiency and code quality?
I'd be fine with going back to shopping with GOG if their official client actually comes to Linux as a native package with proper wineprefix handling for non-native games. Their lack of Linux support is what made me give up on them.
I'd be fine with going back to shopping with GOG if their official client actually comes to Linux as a native package with proper wineprefix handling for non-native games. Their lack of Linux support is what made me give up on them.
5 Likes
Arehandoro 8 hours ago
Quoting: ShadowXeldronThe rest of that looks fine... but doesn't AI actively reduce developer efficiency and code quality?That's what I thought too, and it's probably the case generally, but I got my mouth shut yesterday. One software architect at the company I work, created a new feature in a day that had been estimated in 8 or 9 months of work. It has been quite the buzz in the office. Now, I don't know if the original estimate was way off, but the "achievement" is still rather impressive.
Quoting: ShadowXeldronI'd be fine with going back to shopping with GOG if their official client actually comes to Linux as a native package with proper wineprefix handling for non-native games. Their lack of Linux support is what made me give up on them.100% with you on this.
6 Likes
Having both support for "Galaxy" and (preferably) some measure of: "if GOG end up making use of Wine / Proton", that would be the proverbial "Game Changer" for me.
Up until now, I've largely ignored GoG, aside from buying games for "ScummVM" and a few older titles for DosBOX. The reason for that, is that their commitment to Linux (compared to Valve) has seemed "half-assed" at best and almost non-existing at worst.
This change, if it's realized, could mean that I actually start using GoG for new/modern games. A legitimate alternative to Steam.
Up until now, I've largely ignored GoG, aside from buying games for "ScummVM" and a few older titles for DosBOX. The reason for that, is that their commitment to Linux (compared to Valve) has seemed "half-assed" at best and almost non-existing at worst.
This change, if it's realized, could mean that I actually start using GoG for new/modern games. A legitimate alternative to Steam.
0 Likes
dmacofalltrades 8 hours ago
Hell yeah! This would get me to buy and play more of their games. Hopefully they follow through on this.
1 Likes
Will 2026 truly be the real year of Linux gaming on the desktop?Between this, and Adobe Photoshop getting a Wine fix, Affinity Studio teasing Linux support, and the new Vulkan extension that will apparently fix the performance loss on Novidia..
Yeah, I'd say this is the year 😁.
4 Likes
Quoting: ShadowXeldronThe rest of that looks fine... but doesn't AI actively reduce developer efficiency and code quality?It depends heavily on how you use it and what for....
I guess majority of the market has no idea yet how and where to use it properly. That is because the technology itself is just not there yet; it cannot be used for 'anything' en masse; it makes sense for certain select tasks only...
5 Likes
RussianNeuroMancer 7 hours ago
Quoting: PyrateAffinity Studio teasing Linux supportCould you please provide a link where they did so?
1 Likes
If they are really taking into consideration Linux, at least one engineer with knowledge about Wine/Proton would also be necessary. Or they should consider closer cooperation with other known Wine engineers (for example GloriousEggroll or folks from The Dawn Winery, those who do custom Proton builds for gachas like Genshin).
Not all games work well and some still have some Linux specific bugs (for example Robin Hood: Legend of Sherwood with a laggy cursor - recent Wine builds fixed it only partially).
Not all games work well and some still have some Linux specific bugs (for example Robin Hood: Legend of Sherwood with a laggy cursor - recent Wine builds fixed it only partially).
2 Likes
Quoting: PyrateWe memed so much about for so many years that the Linux Gods (a.k.a. Gabe and Linus) are using their mystical power to pull it off in order to make us shut up about it for good.Will 2026 truly be the real year of Linux gaming on the desktop?Between this, and Adobe Photoshop getting a Wine fix, Affinity Studio teasing Linux support, and the new Vulkan extension that will apparently fix the performance loss on Novidia..
Yeah, I'd say this is the year 😁.
2 Likes
[quote=Arehandoro]
Gaming side full of that too... modders fixing crap, adding stuff without having access to source code, documentation, etc., in hours, after yet another buggy and broken releases/patch.
Quoting: ShadowXeldronhad been estimated in 8 or 9 months of work.Quite common to hear same or similar lines, decade after decade, specially from corporate/proprietary software side... and some hobbyist programmer do same or better in weekend, while playing quake, scratching backside or something...
Gaming side full of that too... modders fixing crap, adding stuff without having access to source code, documentation, etc., in hours, after yet another buggy and broken releases/patch.
0 Likes
Arehandoro 4 hours ago
[quote=mindedie]
Quoting: ArehandoroWhile I agree with you, in this case the person that did the estimate is the same that did the work in one day 😅Quoting: ShadowXeldronhad been estimated in 8 or 9 months of work.Quite common to hear same or similar lines, decade after decade, specially from corporate/proprietary software side... and some hobbyist programmer do same or better in weekend, while playing quake, scratching backside or something...
Gaming side full of that too... modders fixing crap, adding stuff without having access to source code, documentation, etc., in hours, after yet another buggy and broken releases/patch.
0 Likes
Quoting: RussianNeuroMancerhttps://techcentral.co.za/affinity-for-linux-canvas-next-big-move-could-reshape-the-desktop-software-market/274861/Quoting: PyrateAffinity Studio teasing Linux supportCould you please provide a link where they did so?
2 Likes
I could not care less for any galaxy. Never been a prerequisite for buying games from GOG.
Never been into "achievements", never used a game launcher for "connecting" with friends (it's been always a third-party app for that).
It was their attitude that pissed me off. Their shortsightedness of treating a whole community like %^$#
because a bunch of toxic reviewers gave em once a hard time.
Never been into "achievements", never used a game launcher for "connecting" with friends (it's been always a third-party app for that).
It was their attitude that pissed me off. Their shortsightedness of treating a whole community like %^$#
because a bunch of toxic reviewers gave em once a hard time.
0 Likes
Quoting: ArehandoroWhile I agree with you, in this case the person that did the estimate is the same that did the work in one day 😅" Hey look boss the thing i said would take 8 months took one day ! ,
Am i a good boy now, do i get a promotion ? Ohh OK, then maybe just another new project i guess.
... wait , you don't need me as much for the next 8 months ... wait you don't need me as much at all now, what's going on .. " 😆
At least extend the job a few months, jeez. There's always more work to do, and a company will typical NOT value something like this as much as you would like to think in terms of employee relations. And i know this is going to sound bad to some, but it kind of puts a lot of strain on the rest of a team to do the same, making the demands on everyone much higher & leading to everyone now having to rely on Ai more than critical thinking to pump out projects as fast as the previous bar was set. Playing right into the management / CEO's hands. At some point this 'extra efficiency' leads to a nice game of roulette as to which Dev gets to tell their family there not economically viable anymore. I mean, don't shirk your responsibilities but you have to work out a good work life balance within your role.
So do your work well. Efficiently but learn how to play the game at least a little bit. Remember the management already learned how to play the game hence why they have so many 'strategic meetings' and paid for business trips to fancy hotels in foreign countries.
Last edited by Lofty on 27 Jan 2026 at 5:03 pm UTC
0 Likes
I definitely used GOG Galaxy when I was using Windows, but at this point Heroic does everything Galaxy did but better on Linux, especially with the compatability tools. I almost feel like it would be more productive if they chose to contribute to Heroic instead. Maybe they could create a fork of Heroic specifically tied to GOG and would contribute back to Heroic.
0 Likes
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