Game Over for Roblox on Linux: The New Anti-Cheat Blocks Wine Usage

Roblox is a popular game platform that has been around since 2006; it gained popularity for the freedom of creativity it provides players, letting them create their games using the proprietary engine.

For years, Linux users could play it by using workarounds and the Wine compatibility layer.

But that is all set to change as new anti-cheat software, 'Hyperion' is rolled out into Roblox.

What's Happening: With the introduction of the Hyperion anti-cheat software, Wine usage is now blocked by default while running Roblox.

This means that you won't be able to play Roblox on your Linux system using Wine anymore 😔

The block is not even a mistake; it is intentional. The reasons for this were made pretty clear by a staff member of Roblox on their developer forum😲

Before we get to that, what is this Hyperion anti-cheat I keep discussing?

Well, it is an anti-cheat software developed by Byfron Technologies, which was acquired by the Roblox Corporation back in October 2022.

It was a given that they would integrate their system into Roblox, and it is now being done in a phased manner.

You may now be wondering.

Are there any workarounds or native Linux support plans? Or will Roblox end Linux support entirely?

Sadly, the answer to all the questions is pretty much no.

Regarding the future plans for Roblox support on Linux. Well, that has been pretty much shut out by a statement from a staff member, 'AtomicOperation'.

In a nutshell, the staff member conveyed that:

There's no way to justify a Linux port, as they would have to release a new client with QA, CS, documentation, etc., which is much more difficult on a “fragmented platform”.

He also added that:

Even Wine support is difficult because of anti-cheat. As wonderful as it would be to allow Roblox under Wine, the number of users who would take advantage of that is minuscule compared with our other platforms, and it’s not worthwhile if it makes it easy for exploiters to cheat.

You can check out the comment reply in the forum for a more detailed outlook.

⚡ This move will upset many Linux gamers who played Roblox on Linux, especially using Wine.

If you ask me, it is sad to see many developers shying away from the Linux ecosystem, citing 'fragmentation' concerns.

If this continues, we might see a decline in Linux adoption rates due to the unavailability of popular games.

Suggested Read 📖

Or is it so? Gaming clients like HeroicGamesLauncher, Lutris, and Bottles have been trying to improve things by letting gamers seamlessly install Epic Games on Linux and GOG.

Not to forget, Steam Deck is making excellent progress, and there are Linux distributions known to be a good fit for gamers (if you are a desktop user).

So, Linux, as a good gaming platform, is not a distant dream.

💬 What do you think? Should platforms like Roblox make an effort to support Linux? Do you play Roblox on Linux?

Via: GamingOnLinux