Linux gaming has grown from a niche hobby into a practical choice for millions of players. Limited native titles and difficult compatibility tools once defined the platform. Today most Steam games run well, handheld devices succeed, and major publishers are taking notice. The newest development is Epic Games planning a native version of its Epic Games Store launcher for Linux.
From Fringe to Contender
For years Linux held only a small share of PC gaming. Players used Wine for Windows games and faced frequent problems with little official support. Valve’s work changed this. Proton, built on Wine and open-source tools, now lets roughly 80 to 90 percent of Steam’s Windows games run on Linux. Many achieve near-native performance.
The Steam Deck, launched in 2022 and running SteamOS, sped up adoption. Millions of units shipped by mid-2025, and the device took a large part of the handheld PC market. Steam survey data shows the impact. Linux’s share rose to a peak of 5.33 percent in March 2026 and stayed near 4 percent in later months, including about 4.01 percent in July 2026. This is a clear rise from the under 2 percent levels of earlier years. SteamOS leads among Linux users, while desktop options such as CachyOS, Arch, Linux Mint, Bazzite, and Fedora also gained ground.
Community tools expanded the options further. Heroic Games Launcher and Lutris let players install and run games from the Epic Games Store, GOG, and Amazon without depending only on Wine. These open-source projects filled gaps left by missing official clients.
Remaining Hurdles
Some problems remain. Kernel-level anti-cheat still blocks certain multiplayer games, including Fortnite in many cases. Not every store offers smooth native support, and performance can differ by hardware. Better drivers, ongoing Proton updates, gaming-focused distributions, and devices like the Steam Deck and Steam Machines have still made Linux a workable daily choice for gaming.
Epic’s Native Launcher Plans
Epic Games confirmed work on a native Linux version of its Epic Games Store launcher. An employee said in a community Discord AMA that the company is moving toward native support. The launcher will not be in an upcoming preview release because extra work is needed to make sure it runs correctly on the platform.
Until now Linux users mainly used third-party tools such as Heroic or ran the Windows launcher under Wine or Proton. A native client should make library management, free weekly game claims, updates, and launches simpler. Steam Deck owners who currently rely on workarounds stand to benefit most.
This fits with wider Epic Games Store updates. The company is rebuilding its launcher for faster starts and adding features like player profiles, reviews, and better search. Adding Linux support shows recognition of the growing user base.
What This Means Going Forward
A native Epic launcher will not fix every issue at once. Anti-cheat compatibility is still a separate challenge. Official support from a major store does reduce friction and shows that publishers value the Linux audience.
Together with Valve’s Proton work, GOG’s native client efforts, and rising Linux market share, the platform is more open than ever. Players can increasingly treat Linux as a full gaming option rather than a compromise. The growth comes from open-source tools, hardware like the Steam Deck, and responses from companies that once overlooked the platform. Epic’s plans for a native launcher mark another step forward. As tools improve and more stores invest, the number of players choosing Linux for gaming should continue to rise.