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To report a game that does not work correctly with Proton, first search the ValveSoftware/Proton issue tracker for an existing report. If no matching issue exists, open one with the game’s Steam AppID, your Linux distribution and kernel, GPU and driver versions, selected Proton version, a precise symptom, numbered reproduction steps, and a Proton log generated with PROTON_LOG=1 %command%. Review the log for private information before attaching it.
Proton is Valve’s compatibility tool for running Windows-only games through the Steam client on Linux. Valve’s Proton README describes it this way: “Proton is a tool for use with the Steam client which allows games which are exclusive to Windows to run on the Linux operating system. It uses Wine to facilitate this.” A reproducible, hardware-specific report gives maintainers far more useful information than a one-line “game does not launch” complaint.
Decide whether the Proton tracker is the right destination
A failure caused by Proton’s compatibility layer belongs in the ValveSoftware/Proton issue tracker. Examples include a game that stops launching after a Proton update, freezes at a repeatable scene, loses sound through a particular Proton version, or renders incorrectly on a specific GPU and driver combination.
Keep Proton problems separate from ordinary Steam account, purchase, billing, download, or account-access questions. Those issues require Steam’s general support route rather than a Proton compatibility report.
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What Proton does and does not establish
Proton lets the Steam client run Windows games on Linux by using Wine and related compatibility components. A game can therefore fail because of Proton, the game itself, a graphics driver, the Linux system, a launcher or anti-cheat component, or an interaction among them. Your report does not need to prove the root cause. It needs to document what happened, where it happened, and how another person can reproduce it.
The official tracker is different from ProtonDB
Valve’s Proton wiki points readers to ProtonDB as a community compatibility-report site. ProtonDB can help you see whether other players have encountered a similar symptom; it is not Valve’s official defect tracker. The wiki uses this per-game URL pattern: https://www.protondb.com/app/<appid>. Use community reports as context, then file or update the official Proton issue with your own reproducible evidence.
Search for an existing issue before opening one
Duplicate reports split logs and system details across multiple discussions. Before filing, search the ValveSoftware/Proton issue tracker with both the game’s exact title and its Steam AppID. A title search alone can miss reports that use an abbreviation, an alternate release name, or only the numeric AppID.
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- Read the issue title and the first report, not just the search-result snippet.
- Compare the actual symptom: a crash at startup is different from a freeze after a loading screen, even if both are described as “not working.”
- Compare the selected Proton version. A report for Proton Experimental may not cover Proton Hotfix or a numbered stable release.
- Compare the game state, such as a new save, a particular menu, an online session, or a specific cutscene.
- Compare the operating-system, GPU, and driver context when the failure may be hardware-specific.
If an existing issue matches, add your useful details there instead of opening a near-duplicate. State exactly what you confirmed, such as the same freeze occurring on the same Proton version, and add your own system information and log when they contribute new evidence.
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Collect the setup details maintainers need
Record the environment before changing settings or switching versions. The exact Proton build and graphics stack matter: a report that says only “Linux” or “Proton” cannot distinguish among many different test conditions.
| Report field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Game | Full game title and Steam AppID | The AppID identifies the exact Steam application and lets maintainers associate the log with the correct game. |
| Linux distribution | Distribution name and version | Package versions, defaults, and integration can differ between distributions and releases. |
| Kernel | Running kernel version | Kernel-level graphics, input, filesystem, or scheduling differences can affect a failure. |
| Desktop or session | Desktop environment or session type when relevant | A display-session difference can help explain a problem that occurs only in one graphical setup. |
| GPU | GPU model | Rendering and driver behavior can vary by hardware family. |
| Graphics driver | Driver name and version | The driver is a separate variable from the GPU and is often central to rendering or launch failures. |
| Proton | Exact selected Proton version | Proton Hotfix, Proton Experimental, and numbered releases are distinct test conditions. |
| System information | A Steam system-information report link, when available and appropriate | A complete system report can provide additional context without requiring a long manual inventory. |
| Recent changes | Known game, driver, system, or Proton updates before the failure | Timing can reveal whether the symptom appeared after a specific change. |
Do not guess missing values. If you do not know the kernel or driver version, obtain it from your system or Steam’s system-information view rather than filling in an assumption. If a system-information link is not available or would expose information you do not want to publish, omit it and provide the individual facts you can verify.
Record the selected version, not merely the version you tried once
Write down the Proton version selected in the game’s Steam properties when you reproduce the problem. Recent issue examples distinguish Proton Hotfix from Proton Experimental; that distinction can change the result and tells a maintainer which code path you tested. If you compare versions, list each one and describe the result separately instead of saying broadly that “Proton” fails.
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Start with a short, observable symptom. “The game freezes on the second loading screen” is useful; “The game is broken” is not. Keep the symptom separate from your theory about why it happens.
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Use a known starting state
Number the actions from a clean, understandable starting point. Include setup actions that affect the result, such as selecting a save, entering a particular menu, joining a session, or waiting for a video to finish.
- Launch the game from Steam with the stated Proton version.
- Complete any required launcher, configuration, or first-run setup.
- Open the relevant menu, save, level, scene, or online mode.
- Perform the action that triggers the problem.
- Record exactly what appears, stops responding, crashes, goes silent, or renders incorrectly.
Replace those generic steps with the game’s actual sequence in your report. A maintainer should be able to follow the list without guessing which menu or scene you mean.
Separate expected and actual behavior
- What happened: State the visible symptom, error text, crash, freeze, missing audio, graphical corruption, or input failure.
- What you expected: State the normal result you were trying to reach.
- Frequency: Say whether it happens every time, after a delay, only in one scene, or intermittently.
- Scope: State whether the rest of the game works and identify the first point at which it fails.
- Workaround: Mention a setting, launch option, or alternate Proton version only if you actually tested it.
- Recent change: Identify an update or system change that preceded the symptom when you know one occurred.
Label interpretation as interpretation. “The failure began after the driver update” is an observation about timing. “The driver caused it” is a hypothesis. Keeping those statements distinct prevents a plausible guess from being mistaken for an established cause.
Enable and collect the Proton game log
Valve’s Proton README documents PROTON_LOG as a convenient way to write a game-specific debug log. In Steam, open the affected game’s properties, find its Launch Options field, and enter:
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PROTON_LOG=1 %command%Generate the correct log
- Set the launch option for the game you are reporting.
- Launch that game with the Proton version and system configuration listed in your report.
- Follow your numbered reproduction steps and wait until the problem occurs.
- Exit the game if it remains responsive. If it freezes, record the point of failure and stop it using your normal method.
- Find the generated file named
steam-<AppID>.log.
The documented location is $PROTON_LOG_DIR/steam-$APPID.log. If you have not set PROTON_LOG_DIR, the default output directory is your home directory. The filename uses the game’s numeric AppID, so check that you are attaching the log for the game you actually reproduced.
Inspect the log before sharing it
Open the file as text and check for information you do not want to publish. Logs can contain usernames, home-directory paths, machine-specific names, tokens, or other personal details. Remove or redact sensitive values while preserving the surrounding error and context. Do not paste an enormous, unformatted log into the issue body; attach the cleaned file and summarize the relevant observation in the report.
Use log prefixes as clues, not verdicts
Valve’s Proton bug-report checklist suggests looking for lines beginning with fixme:, err:, warn:, and error:. Its examples include startup failures, missing cinematics, and XAudio2 audio problems. The checklist is dated September 29, 2020, so treat those prefixes and examples as diagnostic hints rather than proof that a particular line caused your failure. Include a relevant line or short excerpt when it helps connect the log to the symptom, but do not claim that a prefix alone identifies the root cause.
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Prepare the issue title and body
A useful title identifies both the game and the AppID, followed by the distinctive symptom. For example, use a form such as “Game Name (AppID 123456) freezes on second loading screen” rather than “Please fix.” Replace the example number with the real AppID; do not invent one.
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Put the environment near the top, then the symptom, reproduction steps, frequency, changes, comparisons, and attachment information. The following outline can be copied into an issue and trimmed to fit the facts of your case:
Game name:
Steam AppID:
Linux distribution/version:
Kernel version:
GPU:
Graphics driver/version:
Proton version:
System information link:
What happened:
What I expected:
How to reproduce:
1.
2.
3.
How often it happens:
When it started / recent changes:
Workaround or Proton-version comparison:
Proton log attached: yes/no
I checked for an existing report and relevant system updates: yes/noDelete fields that do not apply, but keep the facts that distinguish your setup. Attach the cleaned log rather than replacing the report with an unexplained dump. If you compared Proton versions, name each version and state whether the symptom stayed the same, changed, or disappeared.
Keep one issue focused and evidence-based
One report should describe one reproducible compatibility symptom. Do not combine an unrelated audio failure, a controller problem, and a launch crash merely because they occurred in the same game. Separate reports make it possible to test and discuss each failure independently.
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- Include the exact AppID and Proton version.
- Give numbered steps that begin from a known state.
- Attach a log produced during the reported failure.
- Explain whether the symptom is consistent or intermittent.
- State tested workarounds without presenting them as guaranteed fixes.
- Update an existing matching issue rather than opening a duplicate.
Filing a report does not promise a response time or a fix. Its value is the quality of the reproducible evidence: another person can test the same game state, Proton build, and hardware context, while maintainers can compare the report with related failures.
Common reporting mistakes and how to correct them
| Mistake | Why it slows diagnosis | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Opening an issue without searching | It creates a duplicate and separates related evidence. | Search by both the game title and Steam AppID, then add details to a matching report. |
| Omitting the AppID | Similar titles, editions, and demos can be confused. | Copy the numeric Steam AppID into the title and environment section. |
| Writing only “it does not work” | No one knows which state fails or what to test. | Name the exact symptom, expected result, frequency, and first failing step. |
| Calling every release “Proton” | Different builds can have different behavior. | Record the selected release, including distinctions such as Hotfix or Experimental. |
| Pasting an unfiltered log | It is hard to read and may expose private data. | Inspect, redact, attach the file, and quote only relevant excerpts. |
| Treating a log prefix as the cause | Warnings and errors can be incidental. | Use prefixes as clues and connect them to a reproducible symptom. |
| Mixing several failures | Different causes and fixes become impossible to separate. | Keep each issue focused on one compatibility symptom. |
| Confusing ProtonDB with Valve’s tracker | A community compatibility note does not create an official Proton issue. | Use ProtonDB for context and the ValveSoftware/Proton tracker for the defect report. |
Final pre-submission checklist
Before pressing the tracker’s submit button, verify each item below:
- The issue concerns Proton compatibility rather than a general Steam account or purchase problem.
- You searched for an existing report using the game title and AppID.
- Your title names the game, AppID, and distinctive symptom.
- The distribution, kernel, GPU, driver, and selected Proton version are recorded.
- The symptom states what happened and what you expected.
- The reproduction steps are numbered and begin from a known state.
- Frequency, recent changes, and tested workarounds are identified.
PROTON_LOG=1 %command%was enabled while reproducing the failure.- The resulting
steam-<AppID>.logis the correct game’s log. - The attachment was checked for usernames, paths, tokens, and other private information.
- Hypotheses are labeled as hypotheses, and unrelated symptoms are not bundled together.
That combination—duplicate check, exact environment, repeatable steps, and a privacy-reviewed Proton log—gives the Proton team a report they can investigate instead of a symptom they must first reconstruct.
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