Valve released a new Proton Experimental update on October 30, 2026, bringing compatibility improvements for Windows games running on SteamOS, Steam Deck and Linux gaming PCs. The update fixes random crashes in Helldivers 2, addresses Vulkan renderer crashes in BeamNG.drive and introduces compatibility for two additional games, Gray Raven and Crown Trick.
Valve confirmed the changes in the official Proton GitHub changelog. The latest build also resolves problems affecting The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and several games running on AMD or other non-NVIDIA graphics hardware.
One of the most significant fixes addresses random crashes in Helldivers 2 following a recent game update. Valve previously resolved a separate launch issue affecting the cooperative shooter through Proton 11.0-2, making the latest change another targeted compatibility improvement for Linux players.
BeamNG.drive receives a fix for crashes occurring when using its Vulkan renderer following a recent game update. The correction specifically targets Vulkan-related instability rather than introducing a general performance improvement, and Valve has not published new benchmark results.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered also receives an improvement addressing unusually long loading times after player deaths when controllers are connected. This fix targets a specific loading issue rather than the game’s overall performance.
For Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Valve has corrected mouse-wheel scrolling problems, restoring the affected input functionality.
The update additionally resolves compatibility issues involving Way of the Hunter 2 and other games on systems without NVIDIA GPUs. Valve identifies the presence of dxvk-nvapi as the cause of these problems, with the fix improving compatibility on affected non-NVIDIA configurations.
AMD GPU users receive another targeted correction in Valor Mortis, which previously displayed a graphics driver warning. The new Proton Experimental build addresses that warning without requiring an NVIDIA graphics card.
Beyond individual game fixes, Valve has resolved an issue that caused multiple instances of Xalia to run simultaneously. Xalia provides controller-oriented interaction with certain Windows launchers and configuration interfaces, making its behavior relevant to handheld gaming systems and controller-based setups.
The newly supported titles, Gray Raven and Crown Trick, have also been added to Valve’s list of playable games through Proton Experimental. Their inclusion means Valve now recognizes them as compatible through this testing branch, although individual experiences may still vary depending on hardware and software configurations.
Proton is Valve’s compatibility technology for running Windows games on Linux-based systems. Its continued development is particularly important for Steam Deck users, while improvements to the broader Linux gaming environment complement recent platform updates such as SteamOS 3.9.5 and its gaming fixes.
Unlike the stable Proton releases, Proton Experimental serves as a testing environment for newer compatibility changes before they are incorporated into future stable versions. The current Experimental branch includes the changes from Proton 11.0-2, while Proton 11.0-3 is also undergoing release-candidate testing.
Steam Deck compatibility remains an important consideration as more developers optimize their games for Valve’s handheld ecosystem. Recent releases such as Queen's Domain receiving Steam Deck Verified status demonstrate how game-specific verification and Proton compatibility improvements contribute to the broader experience.
Players experiencing the affected issues can select Proton Experimental through a game’s Steam Properties menu under Compatibility, where Steam allows users to force a specific compatibility tool. This provides access to the latest fixes without waiting for their inclusion in a numbered stable Proton release.
Valve has not announced when these particular changes will move into the stable Proton branch.
