XCOM 2 developer Firaxis Games has announced that the multiplayer modes are going to be shut down, if you're using the Windows version that is.
In the support article, it notes "As a heads up to the XCOM 2 community, we wanted to share that we will be retiring services for Multiplayer and Challenge Mode for the Steam version of the game". Why? Resources (money): "The decision to retire these services isn’t something done lightly, but it does allow us to refocus our resources". Planned for March 28, it's a shame but there's an interesting silver lining here. If you run Linux, or the Steam Deck, you will still be able to play it online as it also mentions how "this won’t affect XCOM 2 on console platforms, or on Mac and Linux".
That's definitely a strange turn of events, with the Linux and macOS versions being done externally by Feral Interactive.
However, things can change and it's entirely possible Feral could eventually update the port in some way to also remove multiplayer at any point. For Steam Deck, the "Playable" verification was done using the Steam Play Proton compatibility layer, so you would need to switch it to the Native Linux build for online modes to work after March 28 (video guide).
That same issue can happen to any game across any platform, nothing is forever — unless developers and publishers offer up server files to players like the good old days.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
TheRiddick Mar 7, 2022
One of the biggest pitfalls of centralized multiplayer login or authentication servers and not just handling it peer-to-peer or at the local hosts side.
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PublicNuisance Mar 9, 2022
Quoting: KimyrielleYou mean the entire handful of FOSS games that are somewhat on par with commercial games?
Chicken and the egg. If gamers don't support FOSS games how will they ever get to be on par ? Have you actually looked at the finances of most FOSS game projects ? Many gamers here are more than willing to shell out thousands of dollars a year on closed source games but unwilling to give even $1 to a FOSS game.
Quoting: scaineThat's not really particularly fair here. Someone has to pay for multiplayer servers to run. And the core game itself remains playable here, it's only the MP elements that are going away.
I suppose one big advantage that FOSS offers is that the game could re-engineered for LAN play though. That would work with some games, perhaps.
I'm all for FOSS in games, but realistically I suspect it'll be decades before we see any traction in this direction due to the complexity of modern games (art, music, script, voice, animations, textures, AI, physics, shader programming, core programming, plus any other middleware etc).
I notice you say unfair and not inaccurate. Not to mention that this is another example of why having servers run by players is better than by publishers. The cost would be on the players but the game would only die when the last of the players stop playing.
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Quoting: PublicNuisanceChicken and the egg. If gamers don't support FOSS games how will they ever get to be on par ?
I don't think that's even possible. FOSS works on timeless products that can be worked on (and used) for many years. Most games are very much a quick turn around thing with a limited lifespan. It requires a lot of effort in a relatively short time which can't reasonably be set up as a FOSS environment.
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Quoting: PublicNuisanceI notice you say unfair and not inaccurate. Not to mention that this is another example of why having servers run by players is better than by publishers. The cost would be on the players but the game would only die when the last of the players stop playing.
The best games have both, such as Grim Dawn, where there's a league of centrally managed servers providing progression and match-making, but you can also just host a game directly through Steam's multiplayer.
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areamanplaysgame Mar 10, 2022
Quoting: TheRiddickOne of the biggest pitfalls of centralized multiplayer login or authentication servers and not just handling it peer-to-peer or at the local hosts side.
There are a lot of benefits to it too, though. But it would be cool if, at least when they're shutting down their official servers, they released tools to let customers set up their own private ones.
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PublicNuisance Mar 10, 2022
Quoting: EhvisQuoting: PublicNuisanceChicken and the egg. If gamers don't support FOSS games how will they ever get to be on par ?
I don't think that's even possible. FOSS works on timeless products that can be worked on (and used) for many years. Most games are very much a quick turn around thing with a limited lifespan. It requires a lot of effort in a relatively short time which can't reasonably be set up as a FOSS environment.
Well you can believe what you want but I believe one can either be part of the solution or part of the problem. If people are angry about a closed source game closing down it's servers but won't try to help support FOSS alternatives that wouldn't have that issue then I have zero sympathy when they whine about it. They continue to give money to the companies screwing them over and want to whine about how they continue to screw them over. Insansity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
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Quoting: PublicNuisanceWell you can believe what you want but I believe one can either be part of the solution or part of the problem.
Sorry, but this overused sentence doesn't tell us - at all - if X is a viable solution in the first place.
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Quoting: PublicNuisanceQuoting: EhvisQuoting: PublicNuisanceChicken and the egg. If gamers don't support FOSS games how will they ever get to be on par ?
I don't think that's even possible. FOSS works on timeless products that can be worked on (and used) for many years. Most games are very much a quick turn around thing with a limited lifespan. It requires a lot of effort in a relatively short time which can't reasonably be set up as a FOSS environment.
Well you can believe what you want but I believe one can either be part of the solution or part of the problem. If people are angry about a closed source game closing down it's servers but won't try to help support FOSS alternatives that wouldn't have that issue then I have zero sympathy when they whine about it. They continue to give money to the companies screwing them over and want to whine about how they continue to screw them over. Insansity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Wow, your tone. So condescending. No-one is "whining" - not a single person on this thread could be considered to be whining. And what are you suggesting exactly - that we all stop buying proprietary games and only "buy" (presumably, offer support to) FOSS games?? No-one... not a single person... is going to do that.
Because nothing is ever as black or white as you're making out. I buy my Steam games, and I enjoy playing them. Ain't gonna stop doing that. But I'm also a patreon supporter of Godot Engine and Wine-Staging (and Wikimedia, and a handful of other good causes), and I've bought a few games on Steam that are free elsewhere, like Tales of Maj'Eyal.
But what really gets me with your attitude is that I don't even KNOW how to better support FOSS gaming and you've offered nothing specific. Liam maintains a list of free games on this very site, but none of them have particularly well established, obvious ways to support them. Some only want contributors, some might want money, but often don't have an easy way to take donations. Some simply want publicity. Even a super-star FOSS game like SuperTux doesn't take money on its steam page. Pretty frustrating.
It would be great if these projects just spun up an Itch.io page and stuck their games under PWYW. But it doesn't look like many do, so in practical terms, how on earth does someone "support FOSS alternatives".
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PublicNuisance Mar 12, 2022
Quoting: scaineQuoting: PublicNuisanceQuoting: EhvisQuoting: PublicNuisanceChicken and the egg. If gamers don't support FOSS games how will they ever get to be on par ?
I don't think that's even possible. FOSS works on timeless products that can be worked on (and used) for many years. Most games are very much a quick turn around thing with a limited lifespan. It requires a lot of effort in a relatively short time which can't reasonably be set up as a FOSS environment.
Well you can believe what you want but I believe one can either be part of the solution or part of the problem. If people are angry about a closed source game closing down it's servers but won't try to help support FOSS alternatives that wouldn't have that issue then I have zero sympathy when they whine about it. They continue to give money to the companies screwing them over and want to whine about how they continue to screw them over. Insansity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Wow, your tone. So condescending. No-one is "whining" - not a single person on this thread could be considered to be whining. And what are you suggesting exactly - that we all stop buying proprietary games and only "buy" (presumably, offer support to) FOSS games?? No-one... not a single person... is going to do that.
Because nothing is ever as black or white as you're making out. I buy my Steam games, and I enjoy playing them. Ain't gonna stop doing that. But I'm also a patreon supporter of Godot Engine and Wine-Staging (and Wikimedia, and a handful of other good causes), and I've bought a few games on Steam that are free elsewhere, like Tales of Maj'Eyal.
But what really gets me with your attitude is that I don't even KNOW how to better support FOSS gaming and you've offered nothing specific. Liam maintains a list of free games on this very site, but none of them have particularly well established, obvious ways to support them. Some only want contributors, some might want money, but often don't have an easy way to take donations. Some simply want publicity. Even a super-star FOSS game like SuperTux doesn't take money on its steam page. Pretty frustrating.
It would be great if these projects just spun up an Itch.io page and stuck their games under PWYW. But it doesn't look like many do, so in practical terms, how on earth does someone "support FOSS alternatives".
A contributing editor to a Linux gaming website doesn't know how to support FOSS projects. This is the state of Linux gaming. You mention Super Tux for instance, how could anybody figure out how to support them ? If only there was a donate button on the main page of their website. Oh wait there is.
https://www.supertux.org/
I'll let you search for it, if it takes you more than 30 seconds to spot it then that's on you.
https://tuxemon.org/
Donate button at the top of the page.
https://veloren.net/
Donate button at the top of the page
https://www.vega-strike.org/
Donate button at the bottom of the page
https://www.redeclipse.net/
Donate button at the top of the page
Need I go on ? You have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not be able to figure out how to donate to a FOSS project. How about even going to Liberapay or Open Collective and search "FOSS" or "game" and you'll come up with a few hits. I swear humanity is at the stage where tying one's own shoes is a difficult task for many.
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Quoting: PublicNuisanceA contributing editor to a Linux gaming website doesn't know how to support FOSS projects.
You know, putting aside the fact that this is the "Gaming On Linux" website, and not the "Support FOSS Games" website, you're just being rude now, since I gave many examples of where I did actually support FOSS games. What I said was that doing so needs to be better.
Your attitude is appalling, however, so I'm not arguing further.
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