14 DAY TRIAL // One of the main problems Linux is facing as a gaming platform is the absence of support from any major publisher, but that is about to change. It seems that we might get a Linux version of Watch Dogs on Linux.
Ubisoft is certainly one of the biggest publishers out there. The company is responsible for a number of very important franchises and it does most of the work in-house, be it some Tom Clancy game or the next Assassin's Creed.
To be fair, there already are some publishers that have shown their support for the game, and 2K is probably the biggest one of them. The newly-announced Civilization Beyond Earth will be arriving on Linux, although the port is being handled Aspyr Media, which is not exactly ideal.
In order for Linux to become an important contender for the Windows platform in the gaming market, developers must release native Linux versions made by the studios themselves, not by third-party companies and resulting in dodgy game performance.
A Reddit user has discovered that a Watch Dogs icon has been submitted in the Linux part of the Steam Database. Getting the platforms mixed up and saying that Linux is supported when in fact it's not has happened before. Other developers might accidentally check the Linux platform during submission, but that is a mistake that can be easily corrected.
Getting the icon in the Linux section is not the same thing and it requires an action from the developers that can hardly be considered a mistake.
To make things even worse for the fans who are now hoping to get Watch Dogs on Linux, Ubisoft has released some of its games on Mac OS X, although they have been ported by Feral Interactive. This means that it might do the same with the Linux platform.
Unfortunately, an icon for the Linux version of Watch Dogs is like walking on very thin ice. The information is flimsy at best, and you shouldn't put too much stock into it.
On the other hand, it's undeniable that major Linux support from Ubisoft would mean a great boost for the open source platform and it would probably kickstart the entire industry to do the same.
Watch Dogs is an open world third-person shooter that is developed by Ubisoft. It's been in the works for some time and it is one of the most promising new IPs from the company. The Windows version of the game is scheduled to arrive on May 27.
We contacted Ubisoft for more details, but it's likely that it won't comment on rumors.