In a stunning display of “better late than never—but actually mostly just late,” GOG has finally looked up from its pile of Witcher 3 stickers to realize that Linux exists. In a move that surprised approximately three people who still use dial-up, the company posted a job listing for a senior software engineer to port GOG Galaxy to Linux. They even went on Reddit—the natural habitat of people who enjoy arguing about kernel versions—to confirm that work is “underway.”

Let’s unpack this “next major frontier” and the questionable logic powering the GOG hype train.

### The Lone Ranger Theory of Software Engineering
The article highlights a single job listing for a senior software engineer. While GOG paints this as a bold tactical move, anyone who has ever tried to exit Vim knows that porting a massive, legacy-heavy desktop client to the fragmented world of Linux distros is not a one-person job. It’s a “we need someone to blame when this takes five years” job. Hiring one engineer to tackle the “next major frontier” is like trying to colonize Mars with a single guy named Steve and a pressurized Tupperware container. If this is GOG’s version of “all hands on deck,” the deck is looking remarkably empty.

### The “Year of the Linux Desktop” is Now a Vintage Meme
Michał Kiciński, GOG’s founder, claims Linux is the “next major frontier.” We’ve been hearing that Linux is the “next frontier” of gaming since the early 2010s. At this point, the frontier has been settled, a Starbucks has been built on it, and Valve has already moved in, renovated the kitchen, and invited everyone over for a Steam Deck party.

GOG calling Linux the “next frontier” in 2024 is like a colonial explorer “discovering” a place that already has high-speed internet and a thriving local government. Valve’s Proton has been doing the heavy lifting for years, making native ports almost redundant. GOG isn’t pioneering anything; they’re the guy who shows up to a potluck two hours late with a bag of ice and expects a standing ovation.

### The “Microsoft Frustration” Fallacy
The narrative here is that users are fleeing Windows because Microsoft is “cramming every nook and cranny” with bloatware and AI assistants nobody asked for. While Windows 11 is indeed a masterpiece of user-interface-as-an-obstacle-course, the assumption that this will trigger a mass exodus to Linux is adorable.

Most gamers would rather let Microsoft track their eye movements and sell their search history for a nickel than spend forty-five minutes troubleshooting why their GPU drivers are suddenly sentient and refusing to load. GOG is banking on a revolution that has been “just around the corner” for thirty years.

### The Galaxy Client: The Solution to a Problem Nobody Has
The biggest irony? The GOG community has spent years asking for better Linux support, and GOG’s answer is… a native Galaxy client.

For the uninitiated, GOG’s whole brand is “DRM-free.” The primary appeal is downloading a standalone installer and never looking at a launcher again. By focusing on the Galaxy client, GOG is trying to build a cage for a bird that specifically bought its freedom. Linux users, famous for their love of minimalist, efficient workflows, are unlikely to be clamoring for a bloated, Electron-based storefront to manage the games they already know how to run via Heroic or Lutris.

### “Personally, I’m a Big Fan”
CEO Michał Kiciński says he’s “personally a big fan of Linux.” This is corporate-speak for “I have an Ubuntu laptop in my closet that I haven’t turned on since 2019.” If the leadership were truly fans, GOG wouldn’t have spent the last decade treating Linux users like the neglected middle child of the PC family.

The lack of an ETA in the Reddit AMA tells you everything you need to know. “Work is underway” is the software development equivalent of “I’m five minutes away” when you’re actually still in the shower.

### The Bottom Line
GOG is finally acknowledging the Linux community, but don’t delete your Windows partition just yet. Between the single-engineer “team” and the lack of a timeline, this feels less like a strategic shift and more like a PR exercise to keep the Steam Deck crowd from completely forgetting that GOG exists.

Linux gaming is indeed thriving, but it’s doing so because of Valve’s massive investment and the community’s tireless work—not because a CEO decided to become a “fan” ten years after the party started. GOG Galaxy on Linux might eventually arrive, but by the time it does, we’ll probably be gaming on a “frontier” located in a different solar system.