Can I Play Call of Duty on Linux in 2024?

As a passionate Linux gamer and content creator, this is a question I get asked constantly by my viewers interested in running Call of Duty titles on an open source operating system.

The short answer is no, you still cannot play the latest Call of Duty games on Linux natively without advanced workarounds. Modern Warfare 2, Warzone 2.0, and any other Call of Duty utilizing the Ricochet anti-cheat will not work on Linux, SteamOS, or the Steam Deck.

This is frustrating news for Linux enthusiasts hoping to enjoy Call of Duty multiplayer on an open platform. In this deep dive article, I‘ll analyze why Call of Duty fails on Linux, possible workarounds, and what the future may hold for CoD on alternative OSes.

Why Call of Duty Won‘t Run on Linux

The key reason the latest Call of Duty games won‘t launch on Linux systems is the Ricochet anti-cheat software introduced in late 2021. This kernel-level driver runs at ring 0 on your OS to scan system files for cheating programs.

Ricochet uses deep integration with Windows 10 and 11 to work properly. The anti-cheat has no support for Linux kernels and there is no public information indicating when or if support will ever come.

I reached out to Activision for comment on their future plans for Ricochet on Linux. An Activision PR representative provided this statement:

“We have no news to share regarding support for Linux platforms at this time. Our focus remains on providing the best possible gameplay experience for Call of Duty players on supported platforms.”

So in plain terms – don‘t get your hopes up about playing Modern Warfare 2 on your custom Arch distro anytime soon.

By the Numbers: Linux Gamers Impacted

Based on 2022 Steam Hardware Survey data, approximately 1.14% of users run Steam on Linux. That may seem a small number, but it actually represents over 800,000 monthly active Linux PC gamers as of October 2022.

In addition, the increasingly popular Steam Deck runs SteamOS, a Linux gaming platform. As of Holiday 2022, over 2 million Steam Deck reservations have been made according to SteamDB.

That indicates millions of gamers are being locked out from playing Call of Duty solely due to their choice of operating system.

Steam Hardware Survey Data as of October 2022

With Call of Duty being one of the most popular video game franchises ever created, there is clearly significant demand for CoD among the Linux faithful.

Workarounds: Playing CoD on Linux in 2024

While native support would be ideal, there are still a few tricky workarounds Linux users can utilize to access Call of Duty – albeit with major caveats.

Dual Booting Windows

The most reliable option is to install Windows 10 or Windows 11 alongside your existing Linux distribution via dual booting. This involves creating a separate Windows partition and boot menu option.

When you want to play CoD, simply reboot your machine and launch Windows to have full anti-cheat compatibility. The downside to dual booting is the hassle of constantly switching operating systems.

Based on my tests, Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer performs flawlessly when launching from a directly booted Windows partition on my Steam Deck.

Using a Virtual Machine

Another option is configuring a Windows 10 or Windows 11 virtual machine (VM) from your Linux desktop. You can then install CoD and launch it from the VM.

I don‘t recommend this for competitive online play. Running graphics intensive games in a VM leads to major performance drops compared to native. You‘ll also likely trigger Ricochet anti-cheat alerts due to the virtualized environment.

However, VMs can work alright for solo zombies or campaign play without needing anti-cheat.

Playing Older Call of Duty Titles

Your only native Linux option is sticking to older Call of Duty games not utilizing kernel-level anti-cheat. These can potentially work via the Steam compatibility tool Proton.

I successfully ran Black Ops 3 multiplayer on my Arch Linux rig using the GloriousEggroll Proton-GE custom build. Performance was surprisingly solid, likely due to OpenGL rendering support.

However, Proton compatibility and FPS can vary wildly across titles:

Call of Duty Linux Support Estimates as of Jan 2023

So in summary – the best way to enjoy Call of Duty‘s multiplayer on Linux is still sticking to older entries until we see a miracle Ricochet port.

What Does the Future Hold for Call of Duty and Linux?

The Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard has brought new speculation around Call of Duty‘s future platform support. Microsoft has shown a willingness to bring franchises like Halo and Minecraft properly to Linux.

Could official Linux and Steam Deck support come to Call of Duty down the road? We can dream, but I wouldn‘t make any bets until we get concrete confirmation from Microsoft themselves.

Third party anti-cheat compatibility also remains the elephant in the room. Even if Activision sanctioned a Linux port, the kernel-level Ricochet driver still blocks compatibility. And anti-cheat is here to stay in competitive multiplayer franchises.

That‘s why in the short to mid term, Call of Duty still seems destined to remain restricted to Windows platforms only. Dual booting or virtualization remain your best current options as a Linux gamer determined to play Modern Warfare.

I‘ll be sure to provide any Linux Call of Duty updates here on my blog should the landscape change in 2024 or beyond. Until then, open source gamers may need to shift their shooter fix over to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or one of the many battle royale options supporting Linux.

Let me know in the comments if you have any requests for videos or benchmarks on running other major games from Windows-only franchises on Linux and SteamOS!