The Linux gaming community has received a new update from the Proton fork of GloriousEggroll, and this time it's time to talk about GE-Proton 10-25Although it is a rather small release, its aim is to polish flaws detected in the immediately preceding iterations (10-2410-23 and 10-22) and maintain the pace of improvements we've been seeing lately. It's a bug-focused release that helps more Windows games run better on Linux and SteamOS, including the Steam Deck, with GE's typical emphasis on quick fixes and targeted tweaks.
It's worth remembering the advice that several specialized publications repeat: if you don't need a specific GE fix, it's usually a good idea to stick with Valve's official version, which is very robust. Even so, having GE-Proton on hand is a lifesaver when a game is giving you trouble. The recent release schedule and the appearance of 10-25 underscore its role as an "essential tool" when you're looking for extra compatibility, videos that finally play, or launchers that stop giving you trouble..
GE-Proton 10-25: what has been played
GE-Proton 10-25 arrives as a bug fix release—without much fanfare—after several days of consecutive releases. There isn't a huge public list broken down by game for this particular iteration, but the intention is clear: Close regressions, smooth out problems detected in 10-24/10-23/10-22, and stabilize key components such as Wine, DXVK, and vkd3d-proton.
Generally, when GE updates at this point in the cycle, it covers typical areas: video playback (Media Foundation and various pipelines), minor adjustments to launchers (Rockstar, Ubisoft, Battle.net, etc.), texture fixes, or Wayland patches (wine-wayland) and new "protonfixes" that unlock problematic behaviors. If you've been experiencing issues with a game that crashed after an update, 10-25 has a high probability of restoring stability..
An editorial note worth highlighting: there are influential voices in the scene who recommend using official Proton if everything is going well, and resorting to GE when something specific breaks or doesn't start. The existence of 10-25 reinforces that pragmatic approach: having GE installed as a second option gives you room to react without going crazy.
Recent updates and fixes in Proton GE: highlights
In recent update cycles, GE-Proton has implemented very specific and useful changes for several popular games. For example, they fixed video playback in Nioh 2, an issue that periodically causes headaches when something changes in the Media Foundation. Broken textures were also fixed in older World of Warcraft clients (widely used on private servers) and in the Rockstar Launcher, in addition to fixing video regressions in some visual novels..
A protonfix was added for the Final Fantasy XIV launcher when using wine-wayland, another for Genshin Impact (non-Steam version) that prevented a crash when opening the game, and one more for Soulbringer. In parallel, GE usually upgrades to the latest in its stack: bleeding edge Wine, DXVK and vkd3d-proton to git, and updated em-10/wine-wayland patches..
There was also a notable HOTFIX: a supplemental patch for webview2 was removed because it was causing the Forza Horizon 5 login to never open, and a temporary fix was introduced to make the Darkwinter Software region version of Girls Frontline 2: Exilium work properly. The background: Wine 9 introduced a "stub" that allowed the installation of webview2, but the proposed extra patches for Wine to extend this functionality were not accepted and, moreover, broke FH5; therefore, GE removed them..
The regional context of Girls Frontline 2 is important: the Darkwinter Software edition covers North America, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, while the Haoplay edition operates in much of Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Currently, without the additional patches, the Darkwinter edition works and FH5 displays the login again, while the Haoplay edition still needs additional work in Wine..
Having trouble installing GE-Proton? Quick guide and answers to common questions
It's common for someone to come across a "weird" tarball and think they've downloaded something to compile. In fact, the community had this question when upgrading from version 10-15 to 10-16: "I've extracted it and Steam doesn't detect it." The most common cause is downloading the wrong file (source code) instead of the ready-to-use package, or extracting it to the wrong location..
Manual installation on "classic" Steam (not Flatpak): create the folder ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d if it does not exist; then, download the tar.gz file corresponding to the desired version from the GE-Proton releases and extract its contents directly into compatibilitytools.d (it should leave a folder like GE-Proton-10-XX with its compatibilitytool.vdf and other files). Close Steam and reopen it so the client can detect it; then you can select GE-Proton in Properties > Game Compatibility.
Manual installation with Steam on Flatpak: the directory changes to ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/compatibilitytools.d. The process is the same: create a folder, extract the contents of the correct tarball there, and restart Steam. If you don't see GE-Proton when you reopen Steam, check that you didn't nest extra folders when extracting and that it wasn't a "Source code" file instead of the compatibility pack..
Installation with ProtonUp-Qt (super convenient): Download it as an AppImage or install it via Flatpak; run it, click "Add Version", choose "GE-Proton" as the tool, select the version, and click "Install". The tool will take care of downloading and installing everything (it also detects Steam Flatpak). If you're using the AppImage on Ubuntu and it doesn't open, install the fuse package from the repository ("sudo apt install fuse") and try again..
Golden tip: On Steam, force a specific Proton per game (Properties > Compatibility) instead of changing the global one. This way you can set the official Proton as the default and reserve GE-Proton for those titles that require it..
Usage tips: when to choose GE-Proton and useful settings
– If everything works with the official Proton, don't change anything. – If a game won't start, the launcher crashes, or videos look bad, try Proton Experimental first, and if that doesn't work, try GE-Proton. The typical "fix": switching branches usually fixes regressions caused by game updates or Proton itself..
Keep in mind the state of anti-cheat: Steam has made progress with EAC and BattlEye when developers enable compatibility, but not all titles are up to date. If a multiplayer game still fails the anti-cheat test, even with GE, it likely needs adjustments from the game studio..
Useful variables: You can enable the FSR scaling built into the fullscreen "hack" with WINE_FULLSCREEN_FSR=1. If you want to enable NVAPI/DLSS in compatible games, use PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1 and, in some cases, disable the DXGI hack with dxgi.nvapiHack = False (depending on specific documentation). Use them wisely and one per game to avoid chasing ghosts while debugging..
Community, resources and where to follow the latest news
The Proton and GE-Proton community thrives on its support. In addition to the GitHub repositories (where versions and changelogs are published), there are dedicated spaces to keep you informed about what's happening. There are subreddits focused on gaming on GNU/Linux and Steam Deck with thousands of members, where installation questions are answered and fixes are shared..
Media outlets and specialized communities encourage you to follow them on X (Twitter), Mastodon or Bluesky to stay up to date with articles and videos, and to participate on Reddit or YouTube if you want to see real tests and recommended configurations. If you've never used GE-Proton and don't know where to start, look for Deck-specific guides that explain installation, upgrades, and when it's worth switching between official Proton and GE..
Based on recent development, GE-Proton 10-25 fits in as that dose of stability that ties up loose ends while the base (Wine, DXVK, vkd3d-proton) continues to advance. Anyone needing specific fixes for videos, launchers, or protonfixes has a powerful and constantly evolving tool in GE.And thanks to options like ProtonUp-Qt or manual installation via compatibilitytools.d, getting it up and running takes just minutes, even on Steam Deck. With a super active community, frequent patch notes, and the support of the official Proton plugin for everyday use, it's easy to navigate between different branches until you find the one that best suits each game.
