Now that 2018 is coming to a close, let’s go over what’s happened this year. It’s been incredibly interesting to follow, things haven’t been this lively for some time. Note: As this is a roundup of sorts, multiple links will go back to our articles talking about them.
The game porting company Feral Interactive have been busy this year, as they’ve released all these for Linux:
- Total War: Warhammer II
- XCOM 2: War of the Chosen - Tactical Legacy Pack
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm
- Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
Additionally, they also put out their open source GameMode tool to help you get the most performance, although it’s still rather limited in scope right now. Looks like it’s still being worked on too, with “mdiluz” who left Feral Interactive for Unity working on their own fork to bring new features along with a Unity plugin.
Side-note: Marc "mdiluz" recently started a "side-gig" working on Linux tooling, thanks to a little help from Valve. Seems the first focus is GameMode mentioned above.
Feral Interactive have also been teasing a lot in the past few months. We now know that these confirmed titles will also be ported and officially supported on Linux in 2019:
I’m also hopeful we will see Feral Interactive team up with IO once again to bring HITMAN 2 officially to Linux, make it so! Quite a small list so far but a pretty strong one, let’s hope they have more in store for us.
Aspyr Media, another game porting company and publisher helped InnerSpace release and also finally managed to get out the cross-platform online patch for the Linux version of Civilization VI after much delay. Apart from that, they’ve been rather quiet for releases this year.
Virtual Programming released MXGP3 - The Official Motocross Videogame, while also teasing that Gravel is coming to Linux. A Hat in Time also appeared on their website to indicate a Linux port is coming, although it quickly vanished (the second time this has happened). Sadly, though the ARMA 3 experimental Linux port that Virtual Programming teamed up with Bohemia for was put on ice (for now) with no further updates.
Valve also did something that was quite unexpected with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive going free to play with a Battle Royale mode (thoughts here). That’s going to keep me entertained for some time! We were missing out on such a game for a while, so hopefully it keeps CS:GO strong.
Additionally, even though I absolutely love the gameplay in Valve’s card game Artifact (thoughts here), it seems the monetization model has caused a lot of players to look elsewhere. What started off as a strong start for it at around sixty thousand players has dropped like a rock. I fully expect them to make some changes to this. Even though a drop-off was expected, it’s a lot more dramatic than I thought and I imagine it has alarmed Valve somewhat. They say they’re “in this for the long haul” and they’ve been updating it with new features, so it will be interesting to see how they can turn it around.
We also had a few games (sadly) drop Linux support across this year. Notable titles including Rust, Phoenix Point and the aforementioned ARMA 3 Linux port experiment, although the Rust developers still keep the Linux version up to date with each new update and it may eventually see full Linux support again when Unity issues are ironed out.
Not forgetting the considerable amount of good indie games (and some a little bigger) that released for Linux this year! Honestly, I could sit here all day listing off great games released in full for Linux in 2018. I can’t list them all (obviously), but as a reminder of just how good a year it was, here’s a small slice in no particular order:
BATTLETECH
CrossCode
Cultist Simulator
Dead Cells
EVERSPACE
EXAPUNKS
Forsaken Remastered
Horizon Chase Turbo
Iconoclasts
Megaquarium
Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
Overload
Parkitect
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
RUINER
RimWorld
State of Mind
Surviving Mars
Two Point Hospital
Wizard of Legend
That’s quite a varied and impressive selection on offer. Through 2019, there will no doubt be plenty of surprises. We’re aware of a few and we’ve already tested a couple secrets, it’s going to be fun. Do let us know in the comments what Linux releases you're looking forward to in 2019! Personally, I'm quite excited about Insurgency: Sandstorm.
Valve’s Steam Play
By far the biggest news this year—Steam Play! Valve surprised everyone by announcing their own special fork of Wine named Proton, this includes DXVK which kicks over D3D11 and D3D10 into Vulkan (which Valve funded). Allowing many more games to be played on Linux easily through the Steam client, that don’t actually support Linux.
It was something users had asked Valve to do for a long time and I’m still surprised even now many months later that it happened. Linux as a gaming platform couldn’t noticeably grow from indies and a tiny trickle of AAA releases alone, something like this was needed to bridge the gap. Especially helpful to those on the fence about dual booting or fully switching to Linux, not instantly losing access to a vast Steam library makes it a lot more enticing.
Watching Steam Play evolve with each new release has been interesting, although it remains to be seen how far Valve will take it. Valve have stated multiple times now, that they will eventually have something on the Steam store directly to show Steam Play supported titles. I’m very curious how they plan to do this!
Seeing so many people enjoying games they previously wouldn’t have picked up, is quite interesting. I picked up DOOM to test it out myself and I’ve enjoyed it greatly.
The elephant in the room though, 2019 will be interesting to see how many developers decide to shy away from Linux support in favour of telling users to try Steam Play. I imagine a few, but I don’t think it will be anywhere near as drastic as some think.
Personally, I will still be firmly waiting a good year or so before buying anything for Steam Play to rule out a properly supported Linux version. I don’t care how a Linux version is done, I’m long past caring about such specific details. Does it run and run well and is it supported? That matters to me more than anything.
Battle of the stores
Previous years had been quite quiet when it came to stores fighting each other for the crown. It’s like a bunch suddenly woke up from a long sleep in 2018, with multiple stores making waves.
The Epic Store
Epic Games are going to be one watch next year. They’re going to give Valve some tough competition, although probably not right away but over time I think they will easily grow into a huge store thanks to the success of Fortnite.
Even with their popularity, Epic still faces an uphill battle like all other newcomer stores. Although, they’ve already managed to get some exclusive games, developers have pushed back or cancelled their Steam releases completely for it too so it’s going to make things interesting.
In their initial announcement, they did say it would come to “other open platforms”, which presumably means Linux when you see this Twitter post from the founder of Epic Games. I don’t think you would tease like that, unless the Epic Store was going to release on Linux too.
Epic are also opening up all their cross-platform online services, Linux again wasn’t mentioned specifically. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work on Linux we will have to wait and see on that on. We did reach out to Epic about it, to no reply.
I think it’s going to make some big waves across the industry, you don’t have to believe me right now though but I firmly expect it to make a dent in Valve.
Discord Store
Discord also opened up their own store this year, with a recently announced revenue split of 90% for developers and only 10% for Discord. While I’m not entirely sure how big a splash their store will make, they already have a pretty large user-base thanks to the chat client.
They also confirmed that their store will in fact support Linux, although they’re not giving a date yet.
Now, onto GamingOnLinux itself (the website—duh)
Across the year, myself and contributors together put out the most articles in a single year since we began doing this (well above two thousand). Some big, some small but the point is it’s another sign of just how interesting things are.
Not that it’s really much of an indicator, but we seem to have done well this year across various social networks too. There’s been a lot of chatter, a lot of new followers and it’s looking good. Our Twitter account for example, went from 7.6K to over 10.3K which is the biggest increase in a single year we’ve ever seen. Our Mastodon account is also sitting pretty at well over 2K followers too, which isn’t bad at all considering it’s still a newbie. Even our Twitch account for livestreams is doing well, with over 600 new followers this year—we’re hoping they all continue growing nicely as they are.
As far as I’m concerned, if things continue the same we’re solid for many years to come. Good thing too, we all love doing this. We passed the nine year mark in July!
Support Us
If you wish to support the effort, you can find out the various ways to do so on this dedicated page any time.
Whatever you’re doing this holiday season, have a good one and all the best to you. Thank you for the support, the comments, the correction reports on my terrible grammar, the laughs in the livestreams and more. Thanks for the fun, here’s to a fantastic 2019.
Personal note: I will be completely away from December 24th to December 26th and again on December 31st for some rest and relaxation to prepare for another year.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: liamdaweQuoting: g000hRealising that you can't put every notable game into this end of year article, surprised that Slay The Spire didn't make the notables list.Not fully released yet. Kept it to full titles.
Was about to say the same. Slay The Spire would have been (easily) top of my "Best Five Games to Release in 2018"... except they're releasing in February next year (I think). Such an amazing game.
Let's just say it like it is: Without Feral we would have had practically nothing in the pipeline now. Like we did back then.
So this is not something to be too cheerful about. Rather we should worry if the top was already reached.
Maybe Steam Play in fact is the only way forward after all. Forget games developed for our platform, forget ports even, we now need to emulate our way to the bigger games.
grumpytoad Dec 19, 2018
Quoting: grumpytoadI did not see the news on Phoenix Point dropping Linux support :( was there an article on that ?Yes, here.
Quoting: BeamboomI'm the first to feel sorry for saying so, but to be honest I feel this is one of the weaker years in Linux gaming so far. It feels like we're taken quite a few steps back to the first years of Steam, with mostly indie titles coming our way.I am genuinely curious, what about 2017 was bigger and better for you?
Let's just say it like it is: Without Feral we would have had practically nothing in the pipeline now. Like we did back then.
So this is not something to be too cheerful about. Rather we should worry if the top was already reached.
Maybe Steam Play in fact is the only way forward after all. Forget games developed for our platform, forget ports even, we now need to emulate our way to the bigger games.
Quoting: BeamboomI'm the first to feel sorry for saying so, but to be honest I feel this is one of the weaker years in Linux gaming so far. It feels like we're taken quite a few steps back to the first years of Steam, with mostly indie titles coming our way.I'm just theorizing, but maybe this makes more sense than what we had been seeing. We got some of the biggest games before we had the market share to justify it. How many companies would port their games to a console that has a 1% market share? Isn't it pretty amazing that Linux got that treatment in the first place? Something like Steam Play can help us grow our market share demonstrably and feels less like putting the cart before the horse, in a way. Once devs and publishers see that our numbers have grown, thanks in part to us having access to dramatically more games and Windows having less of an advantage on that front, it will make more business sense for them to invest into Linux sales with better support and, for some, dedicated ports.
Let's just say it like it is: Without Feral we would have had practically nothing in the pipeline now. Like we did back then.
So this is not something to be too cheerful about. Rather we should worry if the top was already reached.
Maybe Steam Play in fact is the only way forward after all. Forget games developed for our platform, forget ports even, we now need to emulate our way to the bigger games.
And that's one of the key but easy to underestimate strengths of Steam Play in my opinion: not only can we play Windows games through Wine, which is hardly new, but now game devs can see that those sales come from Linux users and that Linux users are actively playing their games on this OS in spite of the lack of official support. That sends a more powerful message than a bunch of +1's in a forum thread.
That said, the pendulum can definitely swing both ways and make some devs lazy. "They're already buying and playing my game and I didn't have to lift a finger." I think it will boil down to their individual philosophies. We already have companies that made the effort for a tiny 1-2% extra sales and have kept doing so despite the additional support overhead. And others that are so big that they could definitely afford the upfront cost of porting because the absolute number of sales would certainly offset it, yet choose not to. Just like a lot of users reject Linux purely because of their mindset rather than because Linux wouldn't serve them well/better, the choice to support Linux for a developer that has the resources to seems mostly to depend on the management's opinion of Linux. I think it's in the long game that we benefit, because it makes Linux adoption easier, which in turn makes us a more attractive target for those who are only after profits once that growth has become significant enough.
Lastly, even if some devs get lazy, Proton can be a positive for consumers and publishers alike. Suppose you don't want to port your game but you hear reports that it runs on Proton with the exception of one thing that you could fix by switching a library or rewriting one component of your engine. You do that one change and suddenly there's nothing stopping Linux gamers from buying your game, and you still don't have to give them any sort of guarantee or maintain an additional version of your software. That could be appealing to some, and foster a good habit of using Linux-compatible components from the start.
Quoting: grumpytoadI did not see the news on Phoenix Point dropping Linux support :( was there an article on that ?
Let me search that for you: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/snapshot-games-have-cancelled-the-linux-version-of-phoenix-point.12920
:D
Quoting: NeverthelessQuoting: LeopardIf Epic Store will be coming to Linux ( which i don't think so ) without a Proton like solution it would mean nothing.
It would give developers of Linux games another market shelf.
It would give Linux more market presense.
It would be a foot in epics door for Linux versions of their products.
For starters it would mean Epic would port their Launcher. Which would at least be a big toe.
Quoting: BeamboomMaybe Steam Play in fact is the only way forward after all. Forget games developed for our platform, forget ports even, we now need to emulate our way to the bigger games.Yes, we should forget those Linux-supporting indies. After all, they are just a bunch of losers. I mean, who plays their puny "games" on RPGMaker, AGS, GameMaker or whatever garbage they are using? Some 10000 outcasts lacking money for a proper $60+Microtransactions big AAA title.
And we are sure a big community; so big sticks to big! We must pay big AAA publishers so they can continue to not support Linux and wash their boots off us, modifying their AntiCheat and DRM components, breaking compatibility in the process, banning us from on-line for "hacking attempts" and watching us writing petitions to them, pleading them, humiliating ourselves… And than they say "Sorry, No. But thanks for the money", grinning in the process. ^_^
Sounds like a plan to me. :D
Quoting: Salvatos…now game devs can see that those sales come from Linux users and that Linux users are actively playing their games on this OS in spite of the lack of official support. That sends a more powerful message than a bunch of +1's in a forum thread.
Sure, it is a strong message that all those who invested money and effort into Linux ports proper were stupid. If Linux users don't have guts to stay beside their OS and are eager to give money for Windows games, then why bother? The devs will get our money regardless.
Quoting: SalvatosLastly, even if some devs get lazy, Proton can be a positive for consumers and publishers alike. Suppose you don't want to port your game but you hear reports that it runs on Proton with the exception of one thing that you could fix by switching a library or rewriting one component of your engine. You do that one change and suddenly there's nothing stopping Linux gamers from buying your game, and you still don't have to give them any sort of guarantee or maintain an additional version of your software. That could be appealing to some, and foster a good habit of using Linux-compatible components from the start."If they almost figured how to make it work by themselves, then let them finish the work!" Big AAA publishers are all about money and "Rate of Investment". If you are an AAA publisher and can order your devs to "fix" Linux compatibility and gain 1000 purchases or add another feature to the game and get another 100000 Windows gamers, then what would you choose?
Only small indie devs have the mindset to actually try out Linux as they are clearly overshadowed by AAA "whales" on Windows, so they have to seek out any niche, any audience they can find. But to no avail, as all Linux users are busy playing Windows games with Glorious Proton and already don't have money after spending $60+ per title. :(
IMO, WINE (or Proton, if you must) is here for softening the jump for ex-Windows users, enabling them to play their previously purchased games, not for developers to provide "support via Proton" or even "see the potential".
Nevertheless Dec 19, 2018
Quoting: Alm888Quoting: BeamboomMaybe Steam Play in fact is the only way forward after all. Forget games developed for our platform, forget ports even, we now need to emulate our way to the bigger games.Yes, we should forget those Linux-supporting indies. After all, they are just a bunch of losers. I mean, who plays their puny "games" on RPGMaker, AGS, GameMaker or whatever garbage they are using? Some 10000 outcasts lacking money for a proper $60+Microtransactions big AAA title.
And we are sure a big community; so big sticks to big! We must pay big AAA publishers so they can continue to not support Linux and wash their boots off us, modifying their AntiCheat and DRM components, breaking compatibility in the process, banning us from on-line for "hacking attempts" and watching us writing petitions to them, pleading them, humiliating ourselves… And than they say "Sorry, No. But thanks for the money", grinning in the process. ^_^
Sounds like a plan to me. :D
Quoting: Salvatos…now game devs can see that those sales come from Linux users and that Linux users are actively playing their games on this OS in spite of the lack of official support. That sends a more powerful message than a bunch of +1's in a forum thread.
Sure, it is a strong message that all those who invested money and effort into Linux ports proper were stupid. If Linux users don't have guts to stay beside their OS and are eager to give money for Windows games, then why bother? The devs will get our money regardless.
Quoting: SalvatosLastly, even if some devs get lazy, Proton can be a positive for consumers and publishers alike. Suppose you don't want to port your game but you hear reports that it runs on Proton with the exception of one thing that you could fix by switching a library or rewriting one component of your engine. You do that one change and suddenly there's nothing stopping Linux gamers from buying your game, and you still don't have to give them any sort of guarantee or maintain an additional version of your software. That could be appealing to some, and foster a good habit of using Linux-compatible components from the start."If they almost figured how to make it work by themselves, then let them finish the work!" Big AAA publishers are all about money and "Rate of Investment". If you are an AAA publisher and can order your devs to "fix" Linux compatibility and gain 1000 purchases or add another feature to the game and get another 100000 Windows gamers, then what would you choose?
Only small indie devs have the mindset to actually try out Linux as they are clearly overshadowed by AAA "whales" on Windows, so they have to seek out any niche, any audience they can find. But to no avail, as all Linux users are busy playing Windows games with Glorious Proton and already don't have money after spending $60+ per title. :(
IMO, WINE (or Proton, if you must) is here for softening the jump for ex-Windows users, enabling them to play their previously purchased games, not for developers to provide "support via Proton" or even "see the potential".
I think it's there to grow our numbers, ultimately until (to be effective) the Linux community of 2018 (us) is a numerical minority amongst Linux users of the future. That means:
Hopefully much more people will use Linux in the future, because this is the only way to get any significant market leverage. If it happens, I guess most of those gamers won't completely share "our" current values and ideals. However, more Linux users will purchase more Proton games and more native indie games, so I hope Linux gaming can grow even further, and Linux friendly devs get to reap what they have sown.
Until that can happen, I think it's a good idea to keep on purchasing native games of course!
Last edited by Nevertheless on 19 December 2018 at 10:14 pm UTC
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