The BlizzNux Launcher installs and starts Battle.net on Linux through Proton, without Steam. It is free and open source, and it shows blizznux.com in its window, so the compatibility board and the forum are one click away.
Which download
Every release has three files. They are linked from its release post and from the releases page on GitHub.
- AppImage: one file that runs on any distribution. Make it executable and start it:
chmod +x BlizzNux_*.AppImage, then ./BlizzNux_*.AppImage. It updates itself.
- deb: for Debian, Ubuntu, Mint and relatives.
sudo apt install ./BlizzNux_*.deb
- rpm: for Fedora, openSUSE and relatives.
sudo dnf install ./BlizzNux-*.rpm
Use version 0.2.20 or newer. Versions before 0.2.9 could not be installed on Ubuntu or Fedora, and their AppImage only started on the very newest distributions. Every release since fixes something specific; each one is listed with its notes under BlizzNux Launcher.
If the AppImage does not start and mentions FUSE, install your distribution's libfuse2 package, or start it with --appimage-extract-and-run.
What it needs
- A 64-bit PC and a distribution from 2022 or later (glibc 2.35 or newer, the level of Ubuntu 22.04).
- Vulkan drivers for your graphics card, in both the 64-bit and the 32-bit version. Battle.net and the older games are 32-bit programs.
curl and python3. The deb and rpm pull them in.
You do not need Steam, and you do not need to install Wine, Proton or umu-launcher yourself:
- umu-launcher: if your distribution's package is installed, the launcher uses it. If not, it downloads umu's official release into its own data folder the first time it is needed. No root password is involved.
- Proton: Proton-CachyOS is used when it is installed, otherwise the newest GE-Proton found in Steam's compatibility tools folder. With neither, umu downloads the current GE-Proton on first use.
What has been tested
The launcher is developed and tested on CachyOS, on a laptop with an AMD and an NVIDIA graphics card. On Ubuntu 22.04 the AppImage has been started, and on Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04 and Fedora 44 the packages have been checked to resolve their dependencies. A full Battle.net install on those distributions has not been tested by us yet. If you try it, please tell us in Testers wanted.
Updating
The launcher looks for a new version each time it starts and shows an update button in the bottom bar when there is one.
- The AppImage updates itself: it downloads the new version, checks its signature, replaces the file and restarts.
- With the deb or rpm, the button opens the release page. Download the new package and install it the same way as the first time.
New versions are released as soon as a fix or feature is ready.
Removing it
Delete the AppImage, or remove the package with your package manager (the deb is called blizz-nux). Your Battle.net prefix, settings and log are left alone:
~/.local/share/blizznux/: the prefix with Battle.net and your games, unless you pointed the launcher at an existing one, and the launcher's own copy of umu.~/.local/share/umu/: the runtime umu downloads, about 660 MB.~/.config/blizznux/config: the settings.~/.cache/blizznux/blizznux.log: the log.
