Why I Can‘t Download Warzone 2 on Steam
As an avid Call of Duty player and Steam Deck owner, I‘ve been eagerly awaiting Warzone 2‘s launch on Steam. Unfortunately, over 3 months after release, Activision‘s hit battle royale remains conspicuously absent from Valve‘s marketplace. In this deep dive, I‘ll break down the technical challenges blocking a Steam release and evaluate the likelihood of seeing Warzone 2 on Linux devices in 2024.
Ricochet Anti-Cheat – The Culprit Behind the Steam Lockout
Warzone 2 utilizes the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat software to combat hacking and cheating. This kernel-level system closely monitors system processes for malicious activity patterns.
The problem? RICOCHET currently only supports Windows-based operating systems. With Steam running on Linux, there‘s a fundamental incompatibility blocking a Warzone 2 rollout.
As Anti-Cheat General Manager Stephen Palia explained:
Linux and Proton support are areas the team is investigating, but we have no further details to share at this time.
Without native Linux integration, Warzone 2 remains gated on Battle.net for the foreseeable future.
Anti-Cheat Trends Favor Slow Adoption for Linux
Glancing at other popular multiplayer shooters paints a similar picture regarding Linux support:
| Game | Anti-Cheat | Linux Support? |
| Apex Legends | Easy Anti-Cheat | No |
| Valorant | Riot Vanguard | No |
| Overwatch 2 | Custom Anti-Cheat | No |
Developers tend to favor custom Windows anti-cheat solutions over platform-agnostic counterparts. Until prioritizing Linux compatibility gains more momentum industry-wide, obstacles will remain not only for Call of Duty but numerous multiplayer franchises.
Workarounds to Play Warzone 2 on Steam Deck
Despite current limitations, Steam Deck owners still have options to access Warzone 2 through makeshift solutions. These allow running the Windows-based Battle.net client on the handheld device.
Dual Booting Windows on the Steam Deck
Dual booting involves partitioning your SSD to install both the SteamOS and Windows operating systems. By rebooting into Windows, you can natively run Battle.net and Warzone 2 even on the go.
The downside? You sacrifice storage space for Steam games and deal with an abbreviated 2 hour battery life while gaming. For just Warzone 2, that trade-off may not be worthwhile.
Cloud Streaming Services
Nvidia‘s GeForce Now allows streaming graphically-intensive games from the cloud to underpowered devices. Since it runs games on Windows servers, Warzone 2 plays flawlessly through a browser.
Cloud gaming eliminates storage and performance concerns in exchange for a persistent internet connection. Latency and visual compression may impact competitive players though.
Until proper Linux support materializes, these remain the best avenues for Steam Deck Warzone 2 functionality.
The Verdict: Slim Odds of a 2023 Steam Release
Given the complex malware avoidance infrastructure powering Ricochet Anti-Cheat, optimism for rapid Linux/Proton compatibility seems premature. With the Steam Deck still carving out market share, motivation to invest developer resources may not occur for years.
However, with 25 million Steam Deck reservations to date, Activision would be remiss to ignore that demand indefinitely. Should Microsoft‘s acquisition impact future Anti-Cheat plans, priorities could shift towards multi-platform support.
For now, keep an eye on Ricochet‘s roadmap over 2023. But without seismic industry changes, Call of Duty will likely remain a second-class citizen on Steam compared to its console and Battle.net player base. 2024 or beyond seems a more realistic timeframe for Warzone 2‘s Steam rollout.
