Hey everyone! I've had enough of the annoying bugs in Windows 11, particularly the frozen taskbar issue, and I'm ready for a change since it seems like Windows 12 is being built by AI. I'm seeking advice on moving away from Windows completely. I'm primarily a gamer, mostly enjoying titles on Steam like Battlefield 6 and World of Warcraft, as well as using communication tools like Discord, Curse Forge, Battle.Net, Overwolf, and Teamspeak 3. I need to know if I can still play those two major games on Linux, and if I can use something like Ninite to install essential software. What's the best Linux operating system for gamers that also lets me write documents and read PDFs occasionally? Let's chat about the best path forward from Microsoft's reign!
5 Answers
You won't need Ninite on Linux since we have built-in app stores and package managers. Updating all your apps can be done easily through commands in the terminal, so it's really convenient!
For something similar, you can try 'nixite' if you're really set on that approach!
Both Discord and Battle.Net can work with some workarounds like Steam or Lutris. I’ve been playing WoW on Linux since 2018 with those tools. Just remember, Battlefield 6 won't be an option due to the anti-cheat issue, so that might be something you'll have to say goodbye to.
You could consider Bazzite or Mint; both are popular. While I don't play WoW, it looks like you can use Lutris or Heroic to play it on Linux. Battlefield 6, though... yeah, that's a no-go due to anti-cheat. For productivity, most distros come with text editing software, and you'll want to look for alternatives for Overwolf, as it may not work well on Linux.
For Discord, I recommend switching to Vesktop; it's similar but optimized for Linux. For Curse Forge, Prism Launcher is a good alternative. Make sure to check ProtonDB for game compatibility. I suggest trying out the Mint Linux distro for its user-friendly layout and stability. Don't forget to read the tips during installation!
Battlefield 6 has kernel-level anti-cheat, so unfortunately it won't work on Linux. However, World of Warcraft should run fine. Discord has a native version, but game overlay functionality might be hit or miss, and there are custom clients that could work better. For your OS choice, I recommend trying out different distros to see which feels right for your system. Fedora KDE is a solid choice if you want a Windows-like experience, or you might like Bazzite for its gaming focus.
Exactly! It's really as simple as typing 'apt install' to get what you need.