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Civilization VII is just around the corner, as it releases on February 11. In the run up, developers Firaxis have confirmed that the game is verified by Valve for the Steam Deck.
The strategy game will not only get a Windows version, but a native Linux version too. This has been the case since Civilization V launched in 2010. Most games, despite the small rise in Linux use thanks to Valve’s work, usually skip creating a Linux version altogether.
Most games on Valve’s Steam storefront are made exclusively for Windows, despite deep investment in Linux by the Seattle-based gaming company.
Valve’s handheld PC, the Steam Deck, runs SteamOS. This is a customized version of Arch Linux, which – much like the whole of Linux – typically didn’t support playing many games natively. It’d require translation or emulation layers like Wine, which can be hard for new users to get to grips with.
Valve developed Proton, its own translation layer that is baked into the Linux version of Steam. Running any application or game through it creates a siloed-off Windows-style directory for the software to use and run as if it were on Microsoft’s operating system.
However, not every game supports Linux, even with Proton. Popular live service game, Destiny 2 and online shooters like Call of Duty and Fortnite, still block Steam Deck and Linux users from playing. This is due to fears of cheating, as Linux doesn’t have the requirements for anti-cheats baked into the games.
Be wary of Steam Deck verification badges – even for Civilization VII
Despite the good news for Steam Deck owners, it’s still best to wait for it to launch before jumping in. Valve’s verification system has been criticized for not being totally accurate.
The badge is intended to quickly identify to users that the game will work on the handheld system without any major changes.
However, certain titles holding the badge have either stopped working, regularly broken due to updates, or don’t run as promised. Games holding an unplayable badge have often turned out to be playable but with a little tinkering.
It’s best to hold fire until February 9, when the game will be released earlier for those who have paid up for the special versions. Users on ProtonDB, a crowd-sourced database for games running on Linux through Valve’s translation layer will probably bring the best information.
One issue that won’t be stopping the game is 2K’s pesky launcher. The company – which owns Firaxis – dropped its customized launcher from Steam and Epic versions of its games. This caused multiple headaches on Steam Deck, including blocking the launching of the games entirely.
It should also be noted that the game is launching on nearly every kind of system, including the aging Nintendo Switch. If it can run on there, we don’t expect performance issues to be the thing that stops Civilization VII from running on Steam Deck, but other PC gaming issues.
