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Update: They changed their minds on this, they've put the native version back up. See here.

Original article below:

It seems Transhuman Design have removed the Linux version of BUTCHER after users reported issues, opting instead to ask Steam to add it as an approved Steam Play title.

Announcing it on Steam, they said this:

Sadly, BUTCHER spontaneously stopped working on Linux. The most likely cause seems to be some incompatibility between the old Unity 5.6 Linux builds and new GPU drivers.

Since moving the codebase to a newer Unity version is potentially a titanic task (including testing, debugging, and hair-pulling) and the sole programmer of the game is tightly involved in another project to keep him afloat, we decided to request the game to be whitelisted as fully compatible with the new Steam Play feature.

Before it's officially accepted, you can try it now yourself and hopefully enjoy your game working on Linux again!

After digging into the Steam forum, I came across this forum topic started in August, where four users mentioned trouble starting the game. That doesn't seem like a lot of people to make such a big decision, but it's understandable that with a tiny team and little time they're trying to make it so Linux gamers still have a good experience. Probably a good case for Valve to allow people to have a choice between native and Steam Play's Proton.

Obviously the problem with them doing this, is that it no longer shows up as a Linux game on Steam, that is until Valve decide what they're going to do about showing Steam Play on store pages (if anything).

I'm pretty curious to know what the actual issue is here. Is it Unity once again messing up in their older builds, is it a driver update that broke it? We know so little.

Worth noting this is only on Steam of course, the native Linux builds are still available from Humble Store, GOG and itch.io.

What do you think about such a move? Keen to see some thoughts on this.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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hardpenguin Sep 20, 2018
Sad news. But that kind of move from developers was to be expected since Steam Play was announced.
Avehicle7887 Sep 20, 2018
I don't know about the full game (way too pixelated for me to enjoy) but I just went ahead and tried the demo which uses Unity 5.5.1f1 and it runs just fine on Nvidia 396.54.06.
Linuxpunk Sep 20, 2018
Well, it makes me feel uneasy. I surely don't want this to become a trend.

On the other hand, it reminds me of Xenonauts, where the dev coudn't keep the Linux version updated since it was ported by a third party, and they left us Linux users to play a dated version (which locked us out of many MODs and the CE). I mean, I'd rather play the latest version via Proton than be locked to the dated one.

I don't know. I'm all for virtualization, but since there's no big bucks in porting games for Linux, this might discourage developers from supporting linux and just leave us to emulate their games if we want to play them.

I hope once the developer unclutters their schedule they'll make some time to make a proper Linux port.

Anyway, I'll try to keep my money on Linux supported games and just regretted having bought a couple of Windoze only games, that run pretty good on Proton. :S::S::S:


Last edited by Linuxpunk on 20 September 2018 at 10:12 pm UTC
Whitewolfe80 Sep 20, 2018
Mmm not surprised Steam play is an easy out
Linuxpunk Sep 20, 2018
Quoting: GuestSay if a developer REALLY wanted an easy out, and steam play wasn't a thing.. They could just as easily just not update a native linux build if they wanted out, don't ya think?

Which is precisely what the Xenonauts developers did.
Nevertheless Sep 20, 2018
"Worth noting this is only on Steam of course, the native Linux builds are still available from Humble Store, GOG and itch.io."
So it will be a problem for itch.io and GOG users at least. Therefore it's not a satisfactory solution. For me it could be acceptable it it were availlable on Steam only.
Dunc Sep 20, 2018
Quoting: GuestNot fixing a broken linux build is also an easy out.
Exactly. Ever since Proton launched I've been hoping that Taleworlds would pull the broken Linux version of Mount & Blade Warband and let us use the Windows version.

QuoteEdit: just tested my GOG version of Butcher, works just fine on a fully up to date linux mint install lol

Was the game really that broken for people? does seem like a stupid move
So it sounds as if, in this particular instance, it may indeed have been a bit of a cop-out. But in principle, I think this sort of thing is beneficial. As Liam says, maybe Valve making it possible to decide which version to run in the Steam client would be a good idea.
GustyGhost Sep 20, 2018
And so the cancer begins to spread...
iiari Sep 20, 2018
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I have zero problem with this at all. If it results in more playable, more reliable titles for Linux players, I'm fine with that. Even better, if word spreads among devs that this is a good approach, hopefully they'll bring over titles they wouldn't have otherwise. Look at Everspace. They almost dropped the Linux version because of platform specific development difficulties. Maybe in the future, such decisions won't need to exist...
Schattenspiegel Sep 20, 2018
Developers should not be allowed to pull native versions after selling them.
What we need is the ability to choose whether we want to install the native or foreign version in Steam.

If a developer is willing or forced by circumstances to take the reputation hit of recommending the non-native version over the busted native one - so be it, but the choice which version to use needs to stay with the customer.
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