Linux Review:

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

Made in a close partnership with Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a story-rich classical RPG from Owlcat Games, developers of the critically acclaimed game, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

PROTON TIER: PLATINUM

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a story-rich classical RPG developed in partnership with Games Workshop, from the creators of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. The game runs via Proton. Status: Platinum.

TWEAKS & TRICKS

• Poor Initial Framerate: The intro mission’s performance is initially choppy, regardless of graphics settings.
  • Solution: This is a known issue and appears unavoidable.
• Black Screen Launch: Newer Proton versions (Experimental, Hotfix) may result in a black screen launch on Pop OS.
  • Solution: Use Proton 9.0.4.
• Resolution Issues (X11): Lowering the full-screen resolution below native resolution does not function correctly in X11.
• Performance Issues with Multiple NPCs in Combat: Combat performance degrades significantly when more than 5-6 NPCs are present, resulting in extremely blurry visuals with any upscaling enabled.
  • Solution: Reduce the number of NPCs in combat. Lower all graphics settings.
• Performance on Pop OS (Wayland): Using PROTON_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1 introduces stuttering.
• Gamescope Setup (High Resolution): Optimizes for high-resolution displays.
  • Solution: gamescope -w 5120 -h 2160 -W 3440 -H 1440 -f --force-grab-cursor -- %command% -dx12
• Lutris/Wine Setup: Some users have reported compatibility issues with Lutris and newer Proton versions.
  • Solution: Use Proton 9.0.4 within Lutris.

Verdict

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader achieves a Platinum rating on ProtonDB, indicating excellent compatibility. While initial performance and combat framerate can be problematic, these are often solvable with specific Proton versions and graphical setting adjustments. Linux gamers, particularly those utilizing Lutris or Gamescope, should have a highly playable experience.