Update 21:17: Looks like Proton developers have updated the "bleeding-edge" Beta for Proton Experimental, that works around the issue. Note: using it can cause other issues, the Beta doesn't have a lot of testing, you've been warned.
If you go into the Properties on Proton Experimental in your Steam Library, and opt into the "bleeding-edge" Beta, then set your Ubisoft games to use Proton Experimental it will fix it for now until a proper Proton update is out.
Update 22:11: Valve released a Proton Experimental (no Beta needed) fix for this.
Original article below
Third-party launchers on Steam are once again being a massive nuisance. First it was EA breaking everything on Linux and Steam Deck and now it's Ubisoft telling everyone to hold their beer.
Valve fixed the EA App in Proton after a while, and it's likely we're going to need to wait on a fix from Valve again for whatever Ubisoft changed in the latest Ubisoft Connect update.
When you go to launch any game on desktop Linux or Steam Deck that uses Ubisoft Connect, it will do an update and then you'll be greeted with this:
That picture above is from my Fedora Linux desktop trying Ghost Recon Breakpoint today.
After testing The Division 2, Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Ghost Recon Breakpoint on my Steam Deck too, they all also gave the exact same problem as you'll see in the screenshot below from my Steam Deck:
So it seems that every title that uses Ubisoft Connect, is now left broken on Linux desktop and Steam Deck. This comes only two weeks after Ubisoft fixed The Division 2 for Steam Deck / Linux. Meanwhile, Breakpoint still needs manual fixes.
Why do developers and publishers keep forcing these absolutely useless third-party launchers on us? Never once have I, or anyone I've spoken to, actually wanted them. They only ever cause problems and solve basically nothing that Steam cannot already do directly.
I've logged an official bug report with Valve and notified their developers about it.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Mohandevir Feb 1, 2023
This is why I like having and Xbox Series S as a side console as well as a gaming PC and a Deck. Any of these BS jump-through-hoops games usually are on Game Pass, and I'll just bypass all this and play them there.
Doing similar with GeForce Now. This said, the few Ubisoft games I have and played (AC Origin, AC Odyssey and Immortals: Phoenix Rising), I bought them on sale and never found the energy to finish them... They all feel... Souless? ... Empty? ... Like trying too hard? I can't put the finger on it... I've been spoiled by Witcher 3 and God of War, I guess. The only EA or Ubisoft game that I might miss, if ever a launcher issue lingers on, is Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (EA).
GeForce Now ... I really struggled with their setup (no copy/paste, didn't remember the steam account, ...).
And filling in my paswords without copy/paste is essentially impossible, especially since I do not have am english keyboard.
Maybe it got better in the past year, but I decided to buy a gaming rig since I could not find an adequate streaming service. My connection with 250 mbit fibre would be good enough depending on the servers location (preferrably central europe).
I don't have that password issue since it's probably better when it's run on an Nvidia Shield or Android box (GeForce app), like I do. It remembers all accounts, it even permits family share. But yeah, I understand what you mean.
It's just a personal choice of mine. I prefer to stick with Steam (saves carrying over to any device).
Last edited by Mohandevir on 1 February 2023 at 11:36 pm UTC
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StalePopcorn Feb 1, 2023
I was going to reply stating I'd just played an hour of Far Cry 5 and have Proton Experimental but completely forgot that I've 'Bleeding Edge' Experimental.
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legluondunet Feb 2, 2023
FYI, on Lutris, Ubisoft Connect still functional, even after update.
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slaapliedje Feb 2, 2023
Why do they force their launchers? Because these recycled Steam releases are literally just advertisements for the Ubisoft launcher, where they REALLY want you to end up at in the long-run.I honestly think they put them there because they actually can't get them to sell anywhere near the numbers that they sell on Steam. Their attempt at making some games exclusive to Uplay (or whatever the hell they call it these days) seems to have failed enough that they eventually give up after a time and just release on Steam, but having to actually make something that'll skip their shitty launcher... too much effort when you can just have it loaded up in the background anyhow. They also tie a LOT of stuff to their launcher / online stuff (like their own achievements, etc). It's all kind of trash. Unfortunately they do make a type of game I like to waste hours of my life playing... I should just read more books :P
Seriously, the Steam releases we've been getting have forced DRM and forced Uplay, no Steam Achievements, no trading cards, just no effort in whatsoever. They're just there so you have to put Uplay on your computer.
Case in point: The racing game they just announced yesterday has a nice little EGS logo at the end of the trailer. Ubisoft doesn't give a single crap about their Steam customers. These rereleases of old games is just another ploy to nickel and dime Steam users.
1 Likes, Who?
Abedsbrother Feb 2, 2023
FYI, on Lutris, Ubisoft Connect still functional, even after update.Not for me.
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legluondunet Feb 2, 2023
FYI, on Lutris, Ubisoft Connect still functional, even after update.Not for me.
Do you use default Lutris Wine version 7.2-2?
See here:
https://twitter.com/LutrisGaming/status/1620922182443630592
Last edited by legluondunet on 2 February 2023 at 12:33 am UTC
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Well, as of midnight in the UK, Wed evening / Thu morning, it's working again. A new Proton experimental just landed and I've just tested it - all good again. But seriously, Ubi... what a joke they are.
2 Likes, Who?
I only just recently got Far Cry 4 working after years of wanting to. I had pretty much given up on Ubisoft games (except for old bollocks free ones, from back when they were one of my favourite game companies)
A while back I bought Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I had been watching my nephew playing it and I was all psyched for it. It just kept asking me for a non existent license key. In a Ubisoft FAQ, they were basically saying it wasn't their problem and that there are no license keys for the Steam purchased copies. The Uplay client was opening, and I could even see other tied games I owned in there, but the new one would just not activate. That kind of put me off, so I didn't even try to solve it. I just sent it back for refund, disappointed.
They are so afraid that someone is going to play their game without paying for it, that they cause all that aggravation and get people to stop buying. Also, as said in this very discussion, the people that pirate it will have a better experience. As usual, the harder you squeeze, the more that will slip through your fingers :-)
It's not just Linux users that have trouble with their DRM mechanisms either, it has caused unnecessary problems for people on Windows too.
Last edited by Grogan on 2 February 2023 at 2:12 am UTC
A while back I bought Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I had been watching my nephew playing it and I was all psyched for it. It just kept asking me for a non existent license key. In a Ubisoft FAQ, they were basically saying it wasn't their problem and that there are no license keys for the Steam purchased copies. The Uplay client was opening, and I could even see other tied games I owned in there, but the new one would just not activate. That kind of put me off, so I didn't even try to solve it. I just sent it back for refund, disappointed.
They are so afraid that someone is going to play their game without paying for it, that they cause all that aggravation and get people to stop buying. Also, as said in this very discussion, the people that pirate it will have a better experience. As usual, the harder you squeeze, the more that will slip through your fingers :-)
It's not just Linux users that have trouble with their DRM mechanisms either, it has caused unnecessary problems for people on Windows too.
Last edited by Grogan on 2 February 2023 at 2:12 am UTC
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Abedsbrother Feb 2, 2023
Ubi Connect wouldn't (and doesn't) launch using Lutris Wine 7.2.2. I had to use Lutris-GE-Proton7-35 until today's update. Now nothing works.FYI, on Lutris, Ubisoft Connect still functional, even after update.Not for me.
Do you use default Lutris Wine version 7.2-2?
See here:
https://twitter.com/LutrisGaming/status/1620922182443630592
1 Likes, Who?
I don't buy any Steam games that use a third party launcher. Full boycott. Vote with your wallet.
2 Likes, Who?
LordDaveTheKind Feb 2, 2023
Why don't Ubisoft (EA, and all these big publishers) push their Launchers to PlayStation and Xbox consoles? I'm curious to see if they are that smug with Sony or Microsoft.
Last edited by LordDaveTheKind on 2 February 2023 at 9:15 am UTC
Last edited by LordDaveTheKind on 2 February 2023 at 9:15 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
Looking at you, Paradox.
At least their lancher is native, and actually works. You need to give the right credit, as they are the few studios to actually make Linux binaries for their games.
2 Likes, Who?
How is it that Valve is fixing these issues so quickly and the developers (of certain companies ofc), who you would expect to test Proton support at least in passing, are managing to completely break things?
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How is it that Valve is fixing these issues so quickly and the developers (of certain companies ofc), who you would expect to test Proton support at least in passing, are managing to completely break things?
I wouldn't call https://github.com/ValveSoftware/wine/commit/ae2fad7338cc2f914536469656448ecb5fdcf294 a fix, it is a hack and a bandaid solution.
1 Likes, Who?
Are you also going to write an article everytime Blizzard breaks their launcher?
Currently the launcher simply doesn't start if you don't install the Tahoma font and doing so leads to a peculiar bug that Windows users already had to deal with for a long time...
Everytime my character now flaps on its mount, the nameplate increases in size... same happens when people jump.
This never happened with the fallback font...
Currently the launcher simply doesn't start if you don't install the Tahoma font and doing so leads to a peculiar bug that Windows users already had to deal with for a long time...
Everytime my character now flaps on its mount, the nameplate increases in size... same happens when people jump.
This never happened with the fallback font...
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Are you also going to write an article everytime Blizzard breaks their launcher?
Currently the launcher simply doesn't start if you don't install the Tahoma font and doing so leads to a peculiar bug that Windows users already had to deal with for a long time...
Everytime my character now flaps on its mount, the nameplate increases in size... same happens when people jump.
This never happened with the fallback font...
That's a weird one, sure enough. But I doubt articles about Blizzard are worthy of coverage unless Blizzard themselves announce that they're going to support Linux (or wine/proton). Valve offer a packaged, "turn-key" solution to play Windows games on Linux/Deck - Steam. So if a Steam-launched game that was working stops working, I think that's big news (as in, literally, I'm directly affected - I bought the game to play on Linux and now it doesn't work).
2 Likes, Who?
3rd party launchers are reminders of era that ended few years ago, era in which every publisher, studio and their grandmothers thought they can do their own stores fronts, DRM and data collection. Nowadays it just clunky dependency, that eventually gonna lead to titles becoming unplayable even if own copy on steam, Linux or not. It happened before and doomed to happen again.
As much as I hate steam for being the same thing, if steam goes out of business all your collections of video games will turn into pumpkin. But unlike all the failed attempts - steam seems more resilient to complete collapse and remains trustworthy. DRM never protected anything, but suits sleep better at nights knowing it's there.
As much as I hate steam for being the same thing, if steam goes out of business all your collections of video games will turn into pumpkin. But unlike all the failed attempts - steam seems more resilient to complete collapse and remains trustworthy. DRM never protected anything, but suits sleep better at nights knowing it's there.
1 Likes, Who?
InhaleOblivion Feb 2, 2023
This whole ordeal just proves that for Ubisoft they clearly aren't selling in house games as well on their own platform. Nor have they dedicated any additional resources to the Steam releases. Even the games achievements are still synced through Ubisoft Connect and can can break if you afk in their games too long. Long standing bugs still exist in their games like The Division 2.(you can become trapped in the NYC zone for example and cause the game to crash by simply opening the map to DC). I don't plan to purchase any additional games from them going forward. The irony is I was sent an invite to test their new game The Crew Motorfest.
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