Humble Bundle Drops Linux and macOS, Gives Customers Mere Weeks to Save Their Games
Humble Bundle appeared more than a decade ago with an interesting pitch: pay what you want for a bundle of DRM-free games, but the more you paid, the more games you got. Over time, the site has tweaked its offerings and rolled out a subscription option to deliver new games every month. However, Humble Bundle has announced a change to the subscription that some gamers won’t like. It’s simplifying its subscription offerings and rolling out a new launcher, but that launcher is Windows-only. Linux and macOS customers only have a few weeks to download their purchased games before they’re no longer accessible.
Previously, the Humble Choice subscription had tiers, and the more expensive ones came with more games. Going forward, it’s just going to be a single $12 per month fee for all the games beginning on February 1st. Plus, there will be ongoing giveaways and ongoing access to HB’s game collections: the “Trove” with a collection of classic titles and the new “Humble Games Collection.”
According to Humble Bundle, the new launcher will organize your games, notify you of new items, and “make sure you never miss out on great deals.” It sounds like the existing desktop clients for gaming platforms in that respect.
Customers will have to use the new launcher app to download those games, and there might not be as many as there currently are. According to Ars Technica, Humble Bundle says the Trove will have “50+” games when the new subscription and launcher roll out in February. However, there are 79 games available right now. It’s possible HB is preparing us for the removal of some titles. Whatever remains will at least remain DRM-free.
Gaming on Linux and macOS has long been a tiny fraction of the overall market. Humble Bundle made a point of supporting these platforms, but there have been fewer and fewer compatible titles in recent years. The same goes for Android, which used to be a focus of Humble Bundle but now has fallen by the wayside. You can still download those mobile APKs, though. Likewise, keys for Steam, GoG, and other stores purchased from Humble Bundle will still be available.
Anyone with Linux or macOS games from Humble Bundle will need to act quickly to save their content. After February 1st, these downloads will no longer be available. There won’t be any additional updates, either. If that’s a problem, you’ll have to buy a copy elsewhere.
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