Humble Bundle Subscription Drops Linux And Mac Support
Humble Choice subscribers on Mac or Linux were given some bad news today, as we learned that Humble Trove will soon drop support for those two operating systems. This is something of a shock because Humble has made a point of supporting Mac and Linux games since it launched more than a decade ago. Soon, that functionality will be a thing of the past (at least as far as Humble Trove is concerned) thanks to Humble's new PC app, which happens to be Windows-only.
These new limitations are coming to light just a couple of days after Humble announced incoming changes to its Humble Choice subscription service. While Humble Choice currently offers multiple subscription tiers, it will shift to offering just one subscription tier beginning on February 1st. The Humble Trove – which is a collection of games Humble Choice members get access to for as long as they remain subscribed – will be changing its name to the Vault with this shift, too.
On Reddit, user Shanpple8 shares a notification they received regarding Mac and Linux games currently available through Humble Trove. "We want to give you a heads up that starting February 1, Mac and Linux versions of the DRM-free games currently in the Humble Trove will no longer be available," the notification reads. "As a Humble Choice member, you can still download them to keep for your personal collection until January 31. Windows PC versions of many of these games will still be available to download in the upcoming Humble app, alongside the brand-new Humble Games Collection."
It's potentially a frustrating moment for gamers who were drawn to Humble in the early days because of its focus on supporting Mac and Linux gaming. Sadly, it seems with this revamped approach to Humble Choice is a Windows-centric one, as it's the only platform the new Humble app will be available on.
Humble has found itself at the center of some controversy lately. Last year, Humble drew considerable pushback from fans when it revealed that it was dropping the charity sliders that have been around since the very first Humble Bundle launched in 2011. Those sliders allowed gamers to determine how their money was divided between developers, Humble, and charity, with the ability to put any of them to 0%.
Humble's original plan was to replace those sliders with a set split that would give 5% of each purchase to charity, with the option to toggle a "more to charity" option to send that percentage to 15%. The proposed changes didn't sit well with the userbase, and it wasn't long before Humble reinstated sliders in response to that pushback. Later on in 2021, Humble tweaked sliders again, this time implementing a minimum cut for itself to ensure that it received something from each bundle sale.
So, between the controversy with the sliders and the decision to move forward without Mac and Linux games in the Humble Vault, Humble is making some decisions that aren't too popular with players and/or potential buyers of future games. If you're a Humble Choice subscriber on Mac or Linux, keep in mind that these changes are rolling out on February 1st, giving you just about two-and-a-half weeks to download any games you may want to keep.