Don't want to see articles from a certain category? When logged in, go to your User Settings and adjust your feed in the Content Preferences section where you can block tags!
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

The Witcher 3 was apparently never planned for Linux

By - | Views: 51,428
Sad news again (sorry). Apparently The Witcher 3 was never actually planned for Linux which makes things a bit odd.

image
Source

Hmmm, "never were any" huh. Let's have a recap shall we.

tagline-image
The Witcher 3 was originally confirmed by a big front-page "coming to SteamOS" banner on Steam. This was up for a while, but it got pulled down and no announcement was ever made by Valve or the game developer about it. Everyone went silent on it.

Much later the game was again featured in Steam's big SteamOS sale. At this time I did note it was the only game not to specifically state it on the Steam store page, when all the others confirmed it somehow.

I reached out to both GOG and CD PROJEKT RED each time these happened, and I never got a reply.

I have now personally reached out to GOG for answers, although they never replied to me specifically before. Slightly annoying, as they have replied to a few other random people through emails when asking about it, but never to me directly. I am hoping they are now willing to get it properly cleared up.

This whole situation has been one odd thing after another.

What I imagine, is that it was planned, but was later dropped due to unforeseen issues. The problem here, is as always, the lack of communication. Neither party will want to blame the other, as it will sour business relations. It's likely both Valve and CDPR are at fault for it in some way or another.

The problem here is how utterly incompetent are they (either or both of them) to have it featured twice like this? Especially since the second time was specifically a sale to get people to buy it to play it on SteamOS directly.

The whole thing bloody stinks. I don't like speaking writing like this, but that's my honest opinion on the matter. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial
0 Likes
About the author -
author picture
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.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
57 comments
Page: «4/6»
  Go to:

tuubi Sep 2, 2016
View PC info
  • Supporter
Sad, but I'll live. TW2 was great though, go play it if you haven't. It's works fine on its own.
Purple Pudding Sep 2, 2016
I've never thought really about W3 when I was a Windows user... Switching to Linux and reading GOL every day changed this a bit...I was caught into the hype for this game too.
Now, after reading this article, I'm not only disappointed but I have a strange feeling, a urge to play the Witcher games, partly because I remembered they are good and partly because a part of me wants to play this game (even if it's not for Linux and my Hardware specs won't allow me to play it!).

So, I'm a bit sad, I still have a faint hope about it and I will wait until:
- W3 will be released on linux or
- my desires about it will be gone or
- I'll decide to buy a PS4 or
- Wine will be able to play it
vgnmnky Sep 2, 2016
Bah. Picked this as my free game when I bought my graphics card. There were no Linux-friendly options, but I thought this one would arrive one day.

Still, I got Tomb Raider with the previous graphics card, so that one worked out ok!
Seegras Sep 2, 2016
Quoting: scaineI realise it's not a completely fair comparison because GoG were late to the party, but you go where the action is and I don't think GoG are providing much to shout out about.

I had maybe 300 DOS-games on GOG.com, and I kept pestering them about Linux-support (and delivering DOS-games without the Win32-exe of Dosemu, just the zip, please) when they started releasing newer indie-games that actually HAD Linux-ports (or the opposite, were developed on Linux and had Windows-ports), but the Linux-versions were not available on GOG. That was way before Steam had Linux support.

But what made them finally do it was Steam, because obviously Linux-users aren't going to buy the games from GOG when they only get the Linux-version when they buy from Steam (or Humble Bundle or something).

So if GOG was late to the party, then it's because they did not listen to their users.

I do own a lot of linux-games on GOG.com now, and I still buy at GOG.com, but only old games, nothing that is available on Steam.
ElectricPrism Sep 2, 2016
Where I'm from bloody isn't a cuss word, if we could just drop the classist barrier intentionally created by the rich and poor to segregate people by their speech that would be great.

Hell, It's about fucking time.

(This story has a funky smell to it, either the replyer is braindead or just CYOA)


Last edited by ElectricPrism on 2 September 2016 at 7:09 pm UTC
Ehvis Sep 2, 2016
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
I personally think one mail from gog support doesn't really say anything either way. Not that I had high hopes of it happening any time soon. I still think they simply thought they'd give it to VP and they would squeeze out a port without checking if that was even possible. This may eventually happen when tech has caught up.
Shmerl Sep 2, 2016
Quoting: EhvisI personally think one mail from gog support doesn't really say anything either way.

Yes. This question should be addressed to CDPR directly, not to GOG.
Guest Sep 2, 2016
Quoting: AnxiousInfusion
Quoting: mr-eggLinux is not getting any love from your typical cash grabbing AAA devs.

We are relying now (given Aspyr games has gone to the dark side) on two porting companies ( VP, Feral interactive ) three if you count code weavers to bring existing or older titles across.

Fill us in? It looks to me like they're still selling Linux ports. The most recent being Layers of Fear.

AFAIk from a discussion on reddit, Aspyr are fore-filling obligations and that's why you saw LOF but they were bought/licensed by Apple. Don't take my word for it though.

Aspyr - The Greatest Mac publisher on Earth, ever.

^ that is their link header.


Last edited by on 2 September 2016 at 9:57 pm UTC
Mountain Man Sep 2, 2016
Quoting: Comandante oardoValve and CDPROJEKT did MISLEADING ADVERTISING with obvious bad intentions against us, the customers.
I seriously doubt Valve took it on themselves to advertise that Witcher 3 was coming to SteamOS, so the blame for this lies squarely on CDProjekt who apparently changed their plans as development progressed.


Last edited by Mountain Man on 2 September 2016 at 8:28 pm UTC
wvstolzing Sep 2, 2016
Quoting: Mountain ManI seriously doubt Valve took it on themselves to advertise that Witcher 3 was coming to SteamOS,

Except that's exactly what they did -- in order to advertise Steam *Machines*, by way of making the Steam OS catalog appear more appealing than it actually is. At the time that 'SteamOS Sale' was meant to convey only one message, and that was that this new thing called a 'Steam Machine', was the kind of thing you could get, so you could play Arkham Knight or Witcher III on it.
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.