The first time the launcher starts, it opens Set up Battle.net. This is what the box checks and what the two choices do.
The four checks
- umu-launcher: found on your system, or "the launcher downloads its own copy on first use".
- curl: needed to download Blizzard's installer.
- Vulkan driver (64-bit) and Vulkan driver (32-bit): the graphics drivers Proton needs.
A check with a cross gets a Fix this for me button where the launcher knows the packages for your distribution. It shows the exact commands first and asks for your password before running them. Until the crossed items are fixed, Install Battle.net stays switched off.
Install Battle.net
Downloads the official installer from Blizzard's own servers and runs it. The first time, Proton and its runtime are fetched as well, about 1 GB, so the installer window can take a few minutes to appear. Sign in when it asks, let it finish, then close Battle.net.
Battle.net ends up in the launcher's own prefix, ~/.local/share/blizznux/prefix.
I already have Battle.net on this computer
If Battle.net is already installed through Steam, Lutris or Bottles, point the launcher at that prefix instead. Your games stay where they are and nothing is downloaded again. For a Steam install the prefix is a folder like ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/<number>/pfx.
From then on the launcher starts Battle.net from that prefix without Steam.
After setup
The bottom bar shows Launch Battle.net. When Battle.net is already running in the launcher's prefix, the button says Battle.net is running instead and does not start a second copy. A Battle.net started by Steam, Lutris or another tool in a different prefix is left alone. The check only looks at what is running on your computer; nothing extra is sent to the site.
Games are installed, updated and started inside Battle.net, the same as on Windows. Battle.net updates itself; when a newer Battle.net is out, the launcher says so in the bottom bar.
Some games cannot run on Linux because of their anti-cheat. The compatibility board shows what is known for each game.
Display size and graphics card
Both are in Settings:
- Display scaling: if Battle.net looks tiny on a high-resolution screen, set the DPI and press Apply DPI inside the prefix. 96 is 100 %, 120 is 125 %, 144 is 150 %, 192 is 200 %.
- NVIDIA render offload: on a laptop with two graphics cards, Auto runs Battle.net and the games on the NVIDIA card. Always on and Off override that.
