Humble Bundle Subscription Gaming Services Kicks Linux And Mac To The Curb

Humble is looking to streamline its gaming service, but some users will lose the ability to take advantage of it in the process. With a new launcher in the works, those on a Mac and those using Linux will not be invited to the party.

Gaming services offer a convenient way for gamers to find and access games. Recently fans of Fortnite were thrilled to learn they would be getting the beloved game on iPhones and iPads via GeForce NOW. Humble delighted some of its subscribers back in September of last year when it included a bundle of dog centric games. It was a collaborative effort between Humble Bundle and @CanYouPetTheDog on Twitter. But it seems that Humble has decided that streamlining their gaming service will also include streamlining those who can use it.

Currently the monthly subscription service, Humble Choice, is offered in a number of price tiers. Essentially the more you pay, the more games you get. However, starting in February, Humble Choice will include less choices. It will only have one tier for $11.99 per month, along with a few new game giveaways per month and ongoing access to two collections of games. Those collections are "Trove," a collection of classic games, and a brand spanking new "Humble Games Collection" of more modern titles.

On Humble's website it states, "We've been listening to the Humble community about how we can make Humble Choice even better, and the message is clear: make it simpler, level up the value, and focus on choosing only the best games around."

The new Humble Games Collection will launch with five games available in February. Those will include: Forager, Wizard of Legend, Dodgeball Academia, Unsighted, and Void Bastards. More games will be added to the collection on a monthly basis. It is also worth noting that if you happen to skip a month or cancel your membership, you will lose access to the games included with Humble Games Collection.

The exclusion of some comes in the fact that in order to access the new Humble Games Collection you will have to download the Humble App, which is only available on Windows PC. When it comes to the Trove collection, Humble warns that "many" of the current Trove games will appear on the Humble Launcher. This is perhaps Humble's way of letting Mac and Linux users know that they are going to be losing access to those games.

On the bright side of things, Trove's selection of games will remain DRM-free. In the FAQ section of the Humble Launcher it suggests that subscribers can download Trove files and continue to access them in DRM-free fashion, with no Humble Launcher or ongoing subscription required. However, the same promise has not been made when it comes to the more modern collection of games found in the new Humble Games Collection.

Even with the upcoming exclusion of Mac and Linux users, Humble seems to be listening to its customers with a more streamlined service and attempting to add more modern games. It appears the company is positioning itself to take more PC games out of the Steam-linked ecosystem. There is no indication as of right now that Humble plans on including Mac and Linux users in the future. But perhaps if customers speak out loudly enough, the company will once again listen.