GIRLS' FRONTLINE 2: EXILIUM (3308670)

[nolrinale]

Compatibility Report

• Name of the game with compatibility issues: GIRLS' FRONTLINE 2: EXILIUM
• Steam AppID of the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3308670/GIRLS_FRONTLINE_2_EXILIUM/

System Information

• STEAM DECK OLED 512 GB
• OS: 3.6.20
• Proton version: Proton Hotfix & Experimental

I confirm:

• that I haven't found an existing compatibility report for this game.
• that I have checked whether there are updates for my system available.

systemreport-20250211200643.tar.gz

steam-3308670.tar.gz

Symptoms

After updating the game for the first time and proceeding to start, the game just unexpectedly closes without any error or warning message.

Reproduction

1. Download and install the game from https://store.steampowered.com/app/3308670/GIRLS_FRONTLINE_2_EXILIUM/
2. Start the game
3. You will arrive to the title screen, the game will then begin to download extra update files
4. Once the update is finished you click the title screen to start the game.
5. The game closes and you return to your Steam dashboard

[Parmethyst]

@makabrax It's worth pointing out AppID 3347400 is the Darkwinter version of the game, whereas this thread AppID 3308670 is the HaoPlay version, wondering whether to open a new issue for the other version or not, since I'm unsure I'll post here first unless being asked otherwise.

Compatibility Report

• Steam AppID of the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3347400/GIRLS_FRONTLINE_2_EXILIUM/

System Information

• GPU: AMD RX 7600 XT
• Video driver version: Mesa 24.2.8
• Kernel version: 6.12.9-203.bazzite.fc41.x86_64
• Link to full system information report as Gist: https://gist.github.com/Parmethyst/3d842e82f076aa1c90f4c20bcd90566c
• Proton version: Proton 9.0-4, Proton Hotfix, Proton Experimental + bleeding-edge

steam-3347400-bleeding-edge-fail.log

Symptoms

Game need several retries to open successfully

Reproduction

1. Download and install the game from https://store.steampowered.com/app/3347400/GIRLS_FRONTLINE_2_EXILIUM
2. Start the game
3. Game won't open
4. Retry to start the game until it opens

[makabrax]

The publisher is just different for the geolocation, you can easily use the same steps to make either version work. Here is another guide.

<Link removed by moderator>

[kisak-valve]

Hello @Parmethyst, generally speaking, if a game is using a different appid, then we want to track that variant separately, but until there's any known difference between the two, it probably doesn't matter one way or another.

Hello @makabrax, the workaround you linked is legally problematic and has been removed.

[ItsKaa]

The Haoplay version has a dependency on webview2, whereas the Darkwinter version does not.

The work-around for the title screen crash for the Haoplay version is available on Workaround removed by moderator, basically just comes down to installing webview2 with Windows 7 compatibility and changing the renderer to GDI. The issue where you have to re-launch the game is applicable to the Haoplay version too even with the webview2 work-around.

Possibly related to https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/merge_requests/7032

[kisak-valve]

I need to make this abundantly clear. I'm not a lawyer, but it appears that third party redistribution of WebView2's installer is legally problematic and instructions pointing towards that should not be recommended here. Additionally, scripting the download of the software by pointing to a Microsoft download site also appears to be against the installer's EULA.

Please do not point others in that direction, as the way forward is to always grow support for the component in wine or wine-adjacent projects.

@ItsKaa, the workaround you linked is legally problematic and has been removed.

[GloriousEggroll]

1. The game does not need any winetricks or any special patches.

2. The game does not like being launched under steam, but it launches without steam with the start /wait /unix flags.

In GE-Proton we have this setup for UMU for non-steam games:

    elif "UMU_ID" in os.environ:
        log(sys.argv[2])
        if len(sys.argv) >=  3 and sys.argv[2].startswith('/'):
            log("Executable a unix path, launching with /unix option.")
            argv = [g_proton.wine64_bin, "start", "/wait", "/unix"]
        else:
            log("Executable is inside wine prefix, launching normally.")
            argv = [g_proton.wine64_bin]
    else:
        argv = [g_proton.wine64_bin, "c:\\windows\\system32\\steam.exe"]

The default it uses for steam is this:

argv = [g_proton.wine64_bin, "c:\windows\system32\steam.exe"]

Which does not work.

If I set a bogus UMU_ID in the launch options like this:

UMU_ID=0 %COMMAND%

This gets used instead:

argv = [g_proton.wine64_bin, "start", "/wait", "/unix"]

and the game launches as expected.

There is a lot of stutter while the game downloads/patches itself, but otherwise it runs fine.

• Also this ID tracker is wrong I think. The only version I can find that comes up on steam is with ID 3347400

THE TLDR:

• Use GE-Proton with launch command UMU_ID=0 %COMMAND% until valve figure out why it wont launch with steam.exe

[kisak-valve]

Hello @GloriousEggroll, see the earlier comments in this compatibility report. There's multiple variants of this game and they don't have the same technical requirements to run with Proton. It's likely a region-locked difference for which can be accessed through the store.

[Ponkhy]

Yes correct, GIRLS' FRONTLINE 2: EXILIUM has two different publishers for different regions.

The ID 3347400 is the Darkwinter publisher version and the ID 3308670 is the Haoplay publisher version.

[Ponkhy]

Hey @GloriousEggroll I've tested the workaround and unfortunately it doesn't seem to work.
I'm using Proton GE-Proton9-25 and added UMU_ID=0 %command% to the launch options, but as soon as I click on "Press Start" the game still crashes.

steam-3308670.log

[GloriousEggroll]

Hey @GloriousEggroll I've tested the workaround and unfortunately it doesn't seem to work. I'm using Proton GE-Proton9-25 and added UMU_ID=0 %command% to the launch options, but as soon as I click on "Press Start" the game still crashes.

steam-3308670.log

Works fine here, I even made a separate account for trying this region's version -- both versions worked the same way for me. I'm not sure what "press start" button you're referring to. There's no launcher to the game. As soon as you launch it the game itself launches begins downloading the game client from within it

[Ponkhy]

Works fine here, I even made a separate account for trying this region's version -- both versions worked the same way for me. I'm not sure what "press start" button you're referring to. There's no launcher to the game. As soon as you launch it the game itself launches begins downloading the game client from within it

Hey, every time you start the game you will see the text in the bottom center (Game files need to be fully downloaded). You can also trigger the same crash behavior by clicking on the globe icon on the left side.

[GloriousEggroll]

Works fine here, I even made a separate account for trying this region's version -- both versions worked the same way for me. I'm not sure what "press start" button you're referring to. There's no launcher to the game. As soon as you launch it the game itself launches begins downloading the game client from within it

Hey, every time you start the game you will see the text in the bottom center (Game files needed to be fully downloaded). You can also trigger the same crash behavior by clicking on the globe icon on the left side.

Ah I just finished downloading the client and reproduced the issue, looking into it. Will just reiterate for now the 3347400 version DOES work with this workaround UMU_ID=0 %command% on GE-Proton, I was playing it last night. That version is the one available in NA. For 3308670 I had to switch to an account with Japan region.

[GloriousEggroll]

looks like proton is missing wine-mirror/wine@a24039a
details:
https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=56259
https://forum.winehq.org/viewtopic.php?t=38443

This allows the official webview2 installer from microsoft to complete -- also fixes the webview2 installer on Vermintide 2.

@kisak-valve I don't think it would be an issue to make a winetrick verb for this seeing as it's available for free from microsoft:
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/consumer/?form=MA13LH

But just double checking before I go making one.

[kisak-valve]

Read WebView2's EULA regarding redistribution very carefully before proceeding.

[Ponkhy]

I thought webview2 is only required when there is a launcher, but the stream version doesn't have one?
I'm pretty sure I tried it with Bottles and added webview2 but it did not work, I might get back to it and try again~

[GloriousEggroll]

Noting additionally:

even with webview2 installed version 3308670 hangs after 'Press Start'.

the US version 3347400 runs fine with GE-Proton and UMU_ID=0 %command%

[Ponkhy]

Thank you for looking into it, do you have any idea why it still crashes even with webview2 installed?

[HBRJZ]

The following also seems to be required for the Haoplay version (the version that requires webview2):

• Set renderer=gdi via winetricks / protontricks
• Set compatibility for "msedgewebview2.exe" to "Windows 7" in winecfg via winetricks / protontricks
• Set windowmanagerdecorated=n (fixes missing cursor in Webview screens) via winetricks / protontricks

The Haoplay version uses Webview for account login and account support pages (and maybe some more stuff).

For me the game works like this through Steam / Bottles (using Proton-GE / Wine-GE to fix some corruption in cutscenes) or Heroic (using UMU).

I also had it running as an external Steam game like this before the Steam version officially released.

The only major issue I still have is that it sometimes takes several attempts to launch. Besides that menu transitions aren't as smooth compared to the mobile versions on iOS.

I have also renamed the Webview installer / updater .exe to work around https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=56259 so it doesn't get launched.