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How I Play Final Fantasy XIV on Linux

Created August 14, 2026

After taking some time away, I recently started playing Final Fantasy XIV again. Getting a massive multiplayer game running smoothly on a Linux machine often requires a bit of under the hood troubleshooting, which fits perfectly with the core purpose of this site. This article is a complete guide on how I play Final Fantasy XIV on Linux. It serves as a diagnostic log detailing the specific dependencies, compatibility layers, and custom launcher configurations required for a stable experience on my personal machine, algol, using Debian 13 and the GNOME desktop environment.

Configuring Steam on Debian 13

I run the game through a native Steam installation. Because Debian strictly separates free open source software from proprietary packages, installing Steam requires enabling the contrib and non-free repositories. You can download the .deb package directly from the official website, but installing it via the Debian package manager is much cleaner.

First, open your sources list in a text editor with root privileges. I use nano for quick terminal edits. If you do not have it installed, grab it from the package manager first:

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install nano
$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Look for your primary Debian repository line (it usually ends with just "main"). Edit that existing line to include the contrib, non-free, and non-free-firmware components so it looks like the following:

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

Save the file and exit the text editor. Now that the package list has access to proprietary software, you can update your system and install the steam-installer package. Keep an eye on your terminal output to ensure you have all the necessary libraries for Vulkan and 32-bit titles. For any troubleshooting, go to the Steam page on the Debian Wiki.

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install steam-installer

Run the Steam installer either via the terminal or your application shortcut and let the software initialize. Once you are logged in, fully close Steam. If you are running GNOME, it is easier to force it closed using a quick terminal command:

$ killall steam

Managing Compatibility with ProtonUp-Qt

To handle compatibility layers, I use ProtonUp-Qt. This software installs and manages Proton-GE for Steam with a simple graphical interface. You can download the AppImage via the software's website. Make sure you mark the AppImage as executable in your terminal:

$ chmod +x ProtonUp-Qt*.AppImage

The software is also available via Flathub. If you have Flathub configured on your system, just run the following command:

$ flatpak install flathub net.davidotek.pupgui2

Open ProtonUp-Qt and click on the "Add version" button. Find the latest version of Proton-GE and install it to your Steam installation.

Once the install is complete, reopen Steam and add Final Fantasy XIV to your library. Go to the game in your library, open the game properties menu, switch to the "Compatibility" tab, enable "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool," and set the compatibility tool to the latest version of Proton-GE you just installed.

Deploying XIVLauncher

I use XIVLauncher to launch Final Fantasy XIV. Do not open the official launcher and patch the game if you plan on using this method. This custom launcher is significantly faster and gives the player access to plugins, enhancements, and various quality of life features that the vanilla client lacks.

There is a full launcher installation guide for different configurations at the XIVLauncher website. Since I am using a native Steam install, this is the curl command for the shell script I used to install the launcher directly:

$ sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Blooym/xlm/main/setup/install-native.sh)"

Run the shell script installer and make sure Steam is properly restarted using the killall command posted earlier. Just like we did with Proton-GE, go into the game's properties in Steam and change the compatibility tool to "XLCore [XLM]".

Launch the game from Steam, and it will boot the XIVLauncher. Log in with your Square Enix credentials and let it handle the patching. Enjoy your adventures in Eorzea!

Libraries and Dependencies