I'm considering switching my son's gaming PC from Windows to Linux, possibly CachyOS, but Rainbow Six Siege is the main obstacle because of its anti-cheat system. He also plays Minecraft servers, Bodycam, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Roblox. From what I've seen, Rainbow Six Siege may be the only one with serious Linux compatibility problems. Has anyone managed to get these games working, and are there any specific setup steps worth trying? Dual-booting is an option, but buying another drive just to keep Windows for one game feels excessive. His system has a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Radeon 9070 XT, 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 drive, and a 500GB external SSD used for games. He would prefer Linux too, but he's 15 and plays Rainbow Six Siege with a longtime group of friends, so losing access to that game would also mean losing an important social activity.
3 Answers
If Rainbow Six Siege is non-negotiable, keeping a Windows installation is the least frustrating solution. Linux can still be the main operating system, with Windows reserved for that one title. Although it’s understandable to dislike companies that block Linux compatibility, in this case the social side matters too—at 15, playing with longtime friends is a meaningful part of the hobby. Forcing a complete switch could turn the upgrade into a negative experience.
Rainbow Six Siege itself can launch through Proton, but the anti-cheat blocks Linux players from joining multiplayer matches. This isn’t really a missing configuration or community-tool problem—the game’s developers have chosen not to support Proton for competitive play. As a result, there isn’t currently a reliable Linux workaround.
That distinction is important: the game may run technically, but being unable to enter online lobbies makes it effectively unusable for someone who mainly plays multiplayer.
For now, the practical choices are keeping Windows available through dual boot or waiting until he moves on from Rainbow Six Siege. The other games may work through native Linux versions, Proton, or compatibility tools, but support can vary by updates and anti-cheat requirements. Given the hardware, Linux should be a strong option for the rest of his library, but it cannot replace Windows for this particular game yet.
That’s what I was expecting. He would like to move to Linux, but he doesn’t want to give up the game because most of his friends still play it. I’m looking into inexpensive storage options for a small Windows installation.
Exactly. If it were only my computer, I’d be more willing to stop supporting the game, but I don’t want to cut him off from his friends. He dislikes the company too, and some of his friends have started trying Bodycam, so maybe the group will eventually move on.