Humble Bundle has announced that Mac and Linux versions of games in its “Humble Trove” collection will no longer be available to subscribers come February.
Today subscribers to Humble Bundle’s Humble Choice service received an email giving a heads up that they would soon lose access to Mac and Linux games in Humble Trove, which is a library of 70+ games all subscribers have ongoing access to, not unlike Xbox Game Pass.
Choice subscribers who wish to keep Mac or Linux versions of current Humble Trove games must download them before February 1. Humble Bundle’s email added that Windows PC versions of the games will continue to remain available to download going forward.
Read More: Despite Backlash, Humble Bundle’s Donation Limit Returns
Today’s news follows a January 11 blog post in which Humble Bundle announced that it would be making changes to Humble Choice to make the paid service “simpler” for members. Subscribers will no longer choose a number of games to keep each month; instead, they will always keep all the monthly games.
In addition, a new set of games called the “Humble Games Collection” will become available to current subscribers. If this sounds exactly like Trove, you’re not wrong, and the company says “many” of the Trove games will end up in the new Collection. As for Trove’s fate, there’s no clear word yet.
However, part of Humble Choice’s newfound “simplicity” comes in the introduction of a new Windows-only client that’s required to access subscriber benefits, including the Humble Games Collection. It doesn’t take a big leap to arrive at the conclusion that Choice subscribers are losing access to the Mac and Linux versions of Trove games because the service’s new client only works on Windows.
The removal of Mac and Linux versions of games is the latest in a series of moves that have left many onlookers displeased. This past July, Humble Bundle doubled down on its previously stated intention to cap the amount customers would be able to donate to charities while purchasing games. In the past, customers were able to donate 100 percent of their purchases to charitable causes, but now Humble Bundle takes a 15-30 percent cut of every sale.
With today’s announcement, some Reddit gamers who prefer Mac and Linux games feel left behind. For some, the removal of Mac and Linux games from Trove / Humble Games Collection flies in the face of Humble Bundle advertising itself as a storefront where gamers can “download and keep games forever.” While some Redditors are weighing whether they will choose to stick around or cancel their subscriptions come February, others see Humble Bundle’s latest updates as the “final nail in the coffin” for their time with the service/store.
In r/humblebundles, Redditor KlatsBoem posted:
Ever since Humble’s main features shifted away from the Indie bundles, I’ve come to no longer see them as a champion for Linux gaming. Same goes for DRM-free, I first look at itch.io and then GOG.com, Humble no longer makes part of that equation. It was already clear to me that their vision on the future of games does not align with mine. This move of theirs only cements that idea.
Kotaku reached out to Humble Bundle for comment, but didn’t hear back by the time of publication.
