The storefronts are coming to Linux: Epic, GOG, and the tipping point

For most of Linux gaming's history, the story has been the same: Linux users want to play games, game companies don't care about Linux users, and the community builds its own tools to bridge the gap. Valve changed that with Proton and the Steam Deck. But the storefronts held out. Epic, GOG, and Microsoft all stayed away from native Linux support, leaving their games accessible only through community-built launchers or not at all. That's changing. Three things happened this month that point to a tipping point. Epic Games is building a native Linux launcher In a Discord AMA reported by GamingOnLinux on August 14, 2026, an Epic Games developer confirmed that a native Linux version of the Epic Games Store launcher is coming "soon." Not for the preview release of the upcoming store overhaul, but after that. The developer's exact words, screenshotted from Discord: "Soon <-- but not for the preview release. As you can imagine, we need to do more than simply have a build of the launcher that can run natively on Linux." This isn't a vague promise from a community manager. It's a developer in an AMA saying the work is happening. Epic was also recently hiring a Security Engineer to champion Linux anti-cheat, which suggests broader plans for Linux support beyond just the launcher. The context matters. Epic has been the holdout. Tim Sweeney has historically been dismissive of Linux as a gaming platform, and Epic's anti-cheat (BattlEye, Easy Anti-Cheat) has been a recurring blocker for Linux compatibility even when games would otherwise run fine through Proton. A native launcher doesn't solve the anti-cheat problem, but it signals a shift in how Epic views the platform. GOG is working on a Linux version of GOG Galaxy GOG separately confirmed to GamingOnLinux that work is in progress on a Linux version of GOG Galaxy. No timeline, no details, just confirmation that it's happening. GOG is a smaller player than Epic, but they matter for a different reason: they're the DRM-free storef