Heroic Games Launcher: play Epic Games Store and Gog games on Linux
When it comes to PC games, multiple gaming platforms and stores compete for a share of the market. While Valve's Steam has been the dominating platform for a long time, there are other platforms, often with exclusive or time-exclusive games that gamers can't get anywhere else officially.
All major platforms have clients for Windows. Some do have clients for Mac or Linux as well, but some are not available for Linux or Mac. Epic Games Store, for example, is only available as a Windows client. Gog's Galaxy client is available for Windows and Mac.
Heroic Games Launcher is an open source application that brings support for these stores to Linux and Mac devices. It is also available for Windows, and may be used as a combined launcher for games from these stores. Valve's SteamDeck owners may install it as well on their device.
The current version of Heroic Games Launcher is a graphical user interface for Legendary, which is a CLI tool that supports logging in to the game stores and the downloading & playing of these games on the supported platforms. One logged in, users may buy games or get free offerings added to their accounts directly from the application's interface.
Like Gog Galaxy, which supports integration of other gaming platforms in the optional client, Heroic Games Launcher supports multiple clients. For now, Gog and Epic Games Store are supported, but there are plans to integrate more games stores in the future.
Once installed, use the sign-in buttons on the startpage to add a Gog or Epic Games Store account to Heroic Games Launcher. Authentication happens in the Heroic client, an external tool is not required to complete these steps. All games are listed in the library after successful authentication; if you sign-in to both stores, you get two listings, but no combined listing of all games.
Game details are displayed in the client, and it takes just a few clicks to install any game that is in the library.
A click on Stores opens the selected store in the application interface. Since you are signed-in, you may use the stores to grab freebies, make purchases or browse the available games.
Linux users get access to the Wine Manager, which supports Wine-GE, Wine-Lutris and Valve's Proton-GE. Download options are provided and Wine settings are provided. These allow you to install tools such as DXVK, VKD3D or FRS, and install game prerequisites.
Heroic Games Launcher supports different interface languages, which you may switch between from the startpage or the Settings.
Closing Words
Heroic Games Launcher is a useful application for Linux users, and to some degree Mac users, who want to play and manage Epic Games Store and Gog games on their platform.
Check out the GitHub project website for additional information.
Now You: do you play games on your computers?
@mr. stank
doesn’t mean much. ever heard of those critical pieces of open-sourced middleware getting hijacked and fucking over a load of people before getting fixed?
you never know when someone might sneak something into those somewhat pointless third party stuff and capture your credentials. if someone fucks over epic or valve.. that’s on those companies.. it’s on us if we get fucked over by using third party stuff.
I fail to see your point. Either way the data is stolen. It means nothing on who’s fault is. On the other hand using proprietary software is like opening your back door guarantied and given them the permission to use it. What do you propose as (viable) alternative?
1. It is open source. Anyone can see the code and see if any data is collected.
2. Works perfectly on Linux.
I tried it on Windows, it left the impression of a broken, not working piece of trash.
My PC is purpose built for gaming.
“Game Launchers = Data Collection”.
If you take the time to read the fine print in Steams EULA, which almost nobody does, you’ll find that by clicking that ‘yes’ button during install of the client software (game launcher) you give them permission to scan any device on your entire network for “unspecified content” as well as giving them access all of your browsing data.
Don’t believe me, read the EULA for yourself. (That’s not a question, it’s a statement.)
@Tachy (or anyone)
I assume the Steam EULA referred to is this one:
https://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/
I cannot find with certainty the part you are referring to. Is it this part?
” 3. The Types and Sources of Data We Collect
…
3.4 Your Use of the Steam Client and Websites
We collect a variety of information through your general interaction with the websites, Content and Services offered by Steam. Personal Data we collect may include, but is not limited to, browser and device information, data collected through automated electronic interactions and application usage data.
Likewise, we will track your process across our websites and applications to verify that you are not a bot and to optimize our services. ”
I would be interested in specific techniques to minimize any electronic snooping here. I did discover that in Steam settings some of the privacy items I had set before had reverted to defaults, so I would recommend Steam users revisit that.
As for the Heroic Games Launcher, I can see the value of having an open source all-in-one launcher that respects user privacy as much as possible. I also like the idea that it supports Linux to theoretically promote competition. I have not tried it yet. Is it better than GOG’s Galaxy client?
@Tachy
So? yeah and on Steam you can’t even delete your account, and people don’t have a problem with that, Epic games which is 49% owned by Tencent, a company which obviously gathers data in all their games and acquisitions, and the other companies EA, Blizzard and Microsoft etc etc, will obviously gather your data because they need telemetry for obvious reasons and because they have partnerships and I am sure they will want to target their best audience to squeeze more money before their next released game, plus most online games these have a tracking data that can be easily accessed through APIs so websites can use it and bots and etc etc.
So… What is your problem about it? if you don’t want that, then don’t play videogames, or better yet, disconnect from the internet because you are getting tracked every website you go and service you use, and no browser or OS or supposed encryption can stop that.
I mean, you should actually go and maybe hide in a lonely island or forest or cave or something because you are also getting tracked everywhere in this world, especially in “first world countries” where they have surveillance cameras everywhere on the streets, the bars, the banks, the normal stores, the gasoline stations, everywhere has surveillance systems going on recording you with a nice DVR/NVR so most people even the last guy in the most unknown place in the world can have days of surveillance data of people around.
There is no privacy, EULA is just a document companies write to avoid legal issues but you don’t know what parts they really do or not, only because a privacy statement says they do something it doesn’t mean they do, that’s why they use a term like ‘may’ in their documents, it is only to avoid legal issues from hungry lawyers that see a hole where they can sue and get easy money (many examples of that, like people ‘eating’ phone batteries).
Just look how even an extension like BTTV has privacy statements like the ones you see everywhere “we may share information with partners” blabla, and that’s just an extension for Twitch, now it doesn’t mean they do it, it doesn’t mean they won’t do it.
People have no problems using Discord which obviously says they will sell your data once investors are gone, their information is so precious they didn’t even sell to Microsoft for $40billion? or more? who knows, but imagine the kind of information they have that they don’t care about $40 billion, maybe they are three letters agency program, maybe Guilded is too, maybe RevoltChat is too and they sell it as ‘privacy oriented’.
Anyway, your issues with what steams EULA says are pretty simple, you either use it or not, it is obvious Steam can launch more than games, they also do programs, so they can ‘scan’ to see if you have valid software/games, especially because they have status to display which game you are launching and well, they also have an overlay and all that.
So only because EULA says that, again, doesn’t mean they do it malicious or they will scan your word documents and your browser passwords, it is just a way to avoid legal issues because you are accepting their conditions and whatever they do is not breaking a law.
Privacy is a myth and maybe you should move on from thinking there is, especially if you are going to read EULAs and privacy statements to see what you can be freaked about when you can choose not to use these obvious type of services like a videogame where so much data is store in servers, share with partners and telemetry and etc etc.
@Anonymous
Respectfully, it may not be possible to delete a Steam account from user settings, per se, but you can still contact their staff, provide proof of ownership (as applicable), and go from there:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/21A6-7C93-6CFE-100B
I had two different accounts on different occasions over the years closed at my request..