Linux gaming just got its first industry alliance. Universal Blue, the team behind gaming-focused distro Bazzite, announced Wednesday it's joining forces with eight other Linux gaming projects to form the Open Gaming Collective (OGC). The coalition aims to centralize development around critical gaming components like kernel patches, input tooling, and packages such as gamescope - turning fragmented efforts into shared wins across the entire Linux gaming ecosystem.
The Linux gaming world is consolidating. Universal Blue, creator of the gaming-focused Bazzite distribution, just dropped news that it's forming the Open Gaming Collective alongside eight other major Linux gaming projects. The move marks the first real coordination effort in an ecosystem that's been growing fast but staying fragmented.
The collective's founding roster reads like a who's who of Linux gaming: Nobara, ChimeraOS, Playtron, Fyra Labs, PikaOS, ShadowBlip, and Asus Linux are all in. According to Universal Blue's announcement on Wednesday, the group will "centralize efforts around critical components like kernel patches, input tooling, and essential gaming packages such as gamescope."
It's a pragmatic play. Linux gaming has exploded thanks to Valve's Proton compatibility layer and the Steam Deck's success. Linux usage on Steam peaked for three consecutive months, according to recent data from The Verge. But the ecosystem's diversity - usually a strength - has meant duplicate work and inconsistent hardware support across distributions.
The OGC wants to flip that dynamic. "A win for one project becomes a win for everyone," Universal Blue wrote in its announcement. By pooling resources on foundational components, the collective promises "better hardware compatibility, fewer duplicated efforts, and a more unified Linux gaming experience."
For Bazzite users, the changes are already rolling out. The distro is switching to the OGC kernel, ditching HHD for InputPlumber as its input framework, and integrating RGB and fan control directly into the Steam UI. Universal Blue also confirmed it'll be "sharing patches we've made to various Valve packages with the OGC and attempting to upstream everything we can."
