We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Well, the writing was on the wall for some time but this confirms it - it seems Feral Interactive aren't likely to do more Linux ports with the official port of A Total War Saga: TROY for Linux cancelled.

It was announced today that TROY would be finally seeing a Steam release on September 2. Feral did their usual thing on Twitter of quote-tweeting, mentioning it would be on macOS soon after the Windows release. A mention of Linux was totally absent.

Feral replied to a user on Twitter to say:

The Linux port was put on hold while TROY was exclusive to Epic, and we are not resuming development for the Steam release. We will continue to assess the feasibility of porting games to Linux, but there is generally less demand for native titles since Valve’s launch of Proton.

Considering there's a chance that Steam Play Proton might be able to play it from day-1, it's not overly surprising to hear this from Feral considering the cost of porting bigger games with it being far easier for indies. Worth also noting, that TROY was free on Epic Games Store when it first launched, so it would have already eaten into plenty of possible sales.

Part of the problem though, is how most Feral ports lack cross-platform multiplayer with Windows and that type of thing simply won't fly on the upcoming Steam Deck. Add into that issues with saves between the Windows version and Feral ports, that could cause more confusion if they don't sync up. Not only that but since the Steam Deck is basically a PC in handheld form, seeing bigger titles launch for it officially months or years later also wouldn't be a good look.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
27 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.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
125 comments
Page: 1/13»
  Go to:

DebianUser Jul 27, 2021
Exactly what i was afraid of, and why i can't say if Proton is a good thing or not.


Last edited by DebianUser on 27 July 2021 at 3:50 pm UTC
slapin Jul 27, 2021
  • Supporter Plus
Sad :(
Leopard Jul 27, 2021
For anyone wonders if the game will work at day 1 or not ; i grabbed it last year when it was free on EGS for 24 hours ( perma keep ) :

It works on Wine+DXVK since day 1. So Feral porting this or not really shouldn't matter.
Ehvis Jul 27, 2021
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
For Troy it's kind of understandable since the game was free a year ago and perfectly playable on Linux already. I'd still be hopeful that Feral would use the tech that they invested in for more ports. It definitely would make a difference for me. But the bigger problem I see is that the business model of Feral is not actually leading to much business (besides Creative Assembly) any more. And this applies as much to the Mac side of things. I wouldn't be surprised if the went completely mobile/Switch. I wish them the best though! I've enjoyed many of their ports and quite a few of them have been the highest price I've paid for single games.
rustybroomhandle Jul 27, 2021
When they say there's less demand for native titles, that really just means there's bigger choice overall for people who game on Linux. Previously they were a niche player in a tiny market. Now the tiny market is not just limited to the niche any more. They'll be ok though, there's still mobile.
BTRE Jul 27, 2021
View PC info
  • Contributing Editor
I'm saddened but not surprised. I saw this coming with the Epic exclusivity. It launched for free on the EGS and millions downloaded it. Even putting aside Proton, there probably would be far fewer people who would actually pay money for it a year+ later on Steam, let alone people who would pay money for it and were also running Linux. It makes sense for Feral to not bother.
Teodosio Jul 27, 2021
I think this is good news, Feral ports were usually not very good: lower performance, delayed patches, additional bugs, etc.. The very idea of "porting" smells of a sub-par product.
I like to see *native* releases; it they cannot provide that, ensuring good compatibility with Proton may be better than a port.
bisbyx Jul 27, 2021
Can we also note here:
QuoteThe Linux port was put on hold while TROY was exclusive to Epic
Epic's complete lack of Linux support means games don't get ported to Linux as well (Because why would you port a game to Linux if there is no way to ship the build or launch it, due to contractual obligations that says distribution must go through EGS which doesn't support that).

Steam's solution sucks for Feral (and anyone doing porting) but at least we get the games running on Linux.
CatKiller Jul 27, 2021
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
slapin Jul 27, 2021
  • Supporter Plus
Quoting: TeodosioI think this is good news, Feral ports were usually not very good: lower performance, delayed patches, additional bugs, etc.. The very idea of "porting" smells of a sub-par product.
I like to see *native* releases; it they cannot provide that, ensuring good compatibility with Proton may be better than a port.

Most of Feral ports were perfectly fine lately and I prefer native ports to Proton
because of performance, better behavior and integration. Even if graphics part might be emulated,
the system code written well makes things a lot easier and much less demanding.
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.