Does Overwatch run on Linux?
Verdict: Yes
Yes. Overwatch is a Windows game that runs on Linux through Proton, the tool built into Steam, and players on ProtonDB rate it Platinum, the top rating. Its anti-cheat (Warden) works on Linux.
Overwatch has no Linux build. Steam lists Windows as the only operating system, so it plays through Proton, which Steam turns on with a single setting.
The thing most new players trip over is the account rather than the operating system. The Steam version still requires a Battle.net account linked to it before you can play, and that happens inside the game when you first launch it.
Blizzard has said on its own forums that playing on Linux, or on a Mac through an emulated Windows environment, is not bannable. For most people moving across from Windows that is the reassurance they were after.
Overwatch is an action game from Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., first released on 10 August 2023.
It is played co-operatively. Steam lists it as fully playable with a controller. It is free to play.
The evidence
- Its own Linux version
- No, it runs through Proton
- Player rating on ProtonDB
- Platinum, from 1,180 reports
- Recent reports
- Trending Gold
- Steam Deck (which runs Linux)
- Playable, with small niggles
- Anti-cheat
- Warden: Works on Linux, officially
How to play it
New to this? Can I play my games on Linux? explains Proton, anti-cheat and which Linux to pick for games.
If you play this, you probably asked about these
Ratings are reported by players at ProtonDB and anti-cheat status by Are We Anti-Cheat Yet. Both change, so follow the links below for today's picture.
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