Sad news today Linux gamers, Psyonix emailed us directly to make sure we saw the news that they're officially ending support of Rocket League on Linux and macOS.
Their published statement on this was quite short and didn't really explain much:
As we continue to upgrade Rocket League with new technologies, it is no longer viable for us to maintain support for the macOS and Linux (SteamOS) platforms. As a result, the final patch for the macOS and Linux versions of the game will be in March. This update will disable online functionality (such as in-game purchases) for players on macOS and Linux, but offline features including Local Matches, and splitscreen play will still be accessible.
If you purchased Rocket League for Mac or Linux on Steam, the game will still work with full functionality when installed and played on a computer running Windows 7 or newer.
So the Linux and macOS versions will still be there, but left old and online play will be disabled. Not good. Not good at all and as a huge Rocket League fan I'm not pleased—annoyed you might say.
This "new technologies" bit was interesting, perhaps they've decided to go DirectX 12 with an Unreal Engine upgrade? At this point we can only speculate with so little information. In the expanded support page, for Linux they mentioned playing Rocket League with Steam Play Proton is possible although they will not be supporting it.
When Psyonix became part of Epic Games back in May last year, many speculated that Rocket League would not only drop Linux support but also leave Steam. I didn't think either would happen but here we are, Psyonix has still never said they will continue to sell the game on Steam only that it would see "continued support". Originally, I thought meant it would go free to play, but with this move it seems a little more likely it will move over to the Epic Store which doesn't support Linux.
Update: Psyonix are now suggesting to request a refund from them on their support portal.
Update 2 - 24/01: Psyonix are now telling us "macOS and Linux players can reach out directly to Steam to request refunds and they will be honored. In these cases, Steam will make an exception to their 2 hours limit rule.". Their own support ticket team are now also saying to ask Steam for the refund, although Valve has denied my own refund twice.
In situations like this, Valve ideally need a better support system in place or at least an option of platform removal to get around the usual way. As we end up going in circles.
Update 3: After making their PR team aware what was going on with the refund situation, they've now released a statement on Reddit. Refunds will be accepted on Steam now, plus they gave the reason behind removing Linux and macOS support.
It's what I suspected as written above, they're upgrading to a higher version of Direct X which is a problem as the "macOS and Linux native clients depend on our DX9 implementation for their OpenGL renderer to function" and they're not willing to put resources into Vulkan/Metal for Linux/macOS when the combined player-base was apparently "0.3%" of the active total and when "viable workarounds exist" with Wine being mentioned.
They could have gone for Vulkan though to get Windows + Linux (and Stadia) and possibly even macOS with MoltenVK. It's a shame another company decided to stick with a proprietary API. That said, it may not have been possible if they're on quite an old version of Unreal Engine.
If you do get a refund for it, be sure you use that Steam Wallet funding for a developer that does support Linux. Make it count.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Comandante Ñoñardo Jan 25, 2020
GustyGhost Jan 25, 2020
Quote...of the active total and when "viable workarounds exist" with Wine being mentioned.
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
Have we learned our lesson yet?
Quoting: GustyGhostQuote...of the active total and when "viable workarounds exist" with Wine being mentioned.
[...]
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
Have we learned our lesson yet?
The issue is not the existence of a translation layer. The issue is lack of market share. They specifically said that Mac and Linux users comprised "0.3%" of their total player base (that's likely all platforms, not just PC) - not enough to merit the costs behind supporting those platforms.
The developers of Wine/Proton/Dxvk and other translation layers are actively giving people more reason to switch to Linux from windows. You're blaming the very technologies that provide a bridge for more people to start using Linux.
Last edited by lectrode on 25 January 2020 at 1:30 am UTC
slaapliedje Jan 25, 2020
Quoting: bradgyOh good, they're still supporting Windows 7. An operating system which recently lost support from its actual developer. :DThis is exactly what I was thinking when I read this...
But seriously, as a daily player I am crying internally.
Let's support Windows 7 which is officially now a DEAD operating system, yet Linux which is getting more users for it every day...
I admit, I fell for it and bought Mechwarrior 5 on the Epic store... then a day later was like 'wait, I don't have the time to play it right now anyhow, and if it takes a year to come to Steam I have no issues with that... and maybe it'll work in Proton.' so I refunded it.
The sad part is, Epic used to be VERY pro Linux. Something happened with UTIII I think that just maybe soured them?
....
...
..
.
:(
Last edited by iiari on 25 January 2020 at 1:33 am UTC
Quoting: GustyGhostThis has absolutely nothing to do with Wine at all... Wine was there before RL (RL always worked with it well before the port), and was there during, and now there after. It's not like they said, "Hey, guys, just do this via Proton instead..." E. P. I. C.... That's the whole story right there...Quote...of the active total and when "viable workarounds exist" with Wine being mentioned.
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
Have we learned our lesson yet?
Last edited by iiari on 25 January 2020 at 1:35 am UTC
ObsidianBlk Jan 25, 2020
Quoting: lectrodeQuoting: GustyGhostQuote...of the active total and when "viable workarounds exist" with Wine being mentioned.
[...]
"Wine is not harmful to Linux gaming"
Have we learned our lesson yet?
The issue is not the existence of a translation layer. The issue is lack of market share. They specifically said that Mac and Linux users comprised "0.3%" of their total player base (that's likely all platforms, not just PC) - not enough to merit the costs behind supporting those platforms.
The developers of Wine/Proton/Dxvk and other translation layers are actively giving people more reason to switch to Linux from windows. You're blaming the very technologies that provide a bridge for more people to start using Linux.
Yes, WINE is giving people more reason to switch (sort of), and, yes, we shouldn't blame them for their work. That said, you can't brush away the fact that these bridges are also enabling companies to simply pull support for platforms they once promised they'd support.
It's a completely different story if a gamer were using WINE to run Witcher 3, or Assassins Creed, or some other such game that never promised any sort of Linux support to being with, but when you have a developer/publisher that originally promised a platform was going to be directly supported, then pull that support because the "users compromise only 0.3% of the total player base" means they're lazy. Not only that, but they f&^%ing suck at a core responsibility of a developer/publisher releasing a product, which would be RESEARCH into the platform they're releasing to. These companies should have been WELL AWARE of the relative player base between platforms BEFORE promising to support them in the first place. There is NO EXCUSE for these companies to pull platform support. And it should be illegal...
... and, yes, WINE does, in fact, give these lazy, pathetic companies an excuse to pull back on a promise. It's not WINE's fault, but, none-the-less, it is true.
Quoting: ObsidianBlkOnce "released", honestly, I do not feel software should be "patched" beyond stability and security, otherwise, I feel, companies can (and do) break their own promises.Well see, effectively this is what they’re doing. Your client will still be yours and playable on the systems it was designed for, but you won’t be able to connect to their matchmaking servers because your version won’t match theirs. And so, ironically, it’s precisely because they won’t be patching your OS’s version anymore that you won’t be able to connect.
(...)
I mean, honestly, when we used to buy software, there was never... NEVER any risk that it would suddenly stop working on the systems it was written to work for. Now these games can just be snatched away from us on the whim of the company that makes it... effectively stealing our products from us.
Quoting: ObsidianBlk... and, yes, WINE does, in fact, give these lazy, pathetic companies an excuse to pull back on a promise. It's not WINE's fault, but, none-the-less, it is true.Do you seriously think they would have kept supporting Linux if not for the existence of a potential workaround? They don’t care either way, their decision is made, they just suggest it to alleviate the frustration.
It remains to be seen how the new version will work. I hope it will be based on DX11 and not on DX12.
At the moment I see no reason to refund the game.
ObsidianBlk Jan 25, 2020
Quoting: SalvatosQuoting: ObsidianBlkOnce "released", honestly, I do not feel software should be "patched" beyond stability and security, otherwise, I feel, companies can (and do) break their own promises.Well see, effectively this is what they’re doing. Your client will still be yours and playable on the systems it was designed for, but you won’t be able to connect to their matchmaking servers because your version won’t match theirs. And so, ironically, it’s precisely because they won’t be patching your OS’s version anymore that you won’t be able to connect.
(...)
I mean, honestly, when we used to buy software, there was never... NEVER any risk that it would suddenly stop working on the systems it was written to work for. Now these games can just be snatched away from us on the whim of the company that makes it... effectively stealing our products from us.
Quoting: ObsidianBlk... and, yes, WINE does, in fact, give these lazy, pathetic companies an excuse to pull back on a promise. It's not WINE's fault, but, none-the-less, it is true.Do you seriously think they would have kept supporting Linux if not for the existence of a potential workaround? They don’t care either way, their decision is made, they just suggest it to alleviate the frustration.
First, breaking connection to their server is still, effectively, the same. They are renegging on how they presented and put forth the product to their customers at the time those customers bought the software. Given that the servers themselves are not defunct (rendering the software unavailable to all), then they still have effectively lied to their customer base. The fact that current law doesn't see this as a problem does not mean this is not a problem.
Secondly, these developers released a Linux (and Mac) client. To do so, they should have (and should be EXPECTED TO HAVE) done their research. They should KNOW the relative user bases for all supported platforms, the limitations of those platforms based on the tech available to them, and stick with their decisions. To then try to excuse their pull out by stating the user base means this company is either REALLY stupid for not doing their due diligence (and question what else they could have skimmed over and be f'ing up long term) or they think WE'RE really stupid (in which case, f' them).
As for whether they would have continued to support linux (and/or Mac) regardless of WINE... can you prove they wouldn't have? You might be right, but unless you know for a fact WINE had absolutely no sway at all in their decision, then my argument is still valid. At the very least I can see someone saying... "hey, they can still play using that WINE thing, so if anyone tries anything legally we can say they can still play it through that, so... it's not like we REALLY took it away."
Also... why wouldn't WINE be part of any sort of decision as such? Steam is basically making it a core advertising strategy on the Linux side of their store, so if it's visible to us, the consumer, it's definitely visible to the developers and publishers even contemplating our platform, so why wouldn't a company (whether they "really" had to or not) use that to their perceived advantage. Again, I'm not knocking WINE or any associated project. It's not really their fault if and when this does happen, but to pretend there aren't those that WILL use it as such is sticking your head in the damn sand and allowing companies a pass.
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