The gaming-centric front-end for Wine’s Windows compatibility tools on macOS, known as Whisky, has officially ceased updates, a development that has concerned many Mac gamers. Regarded as one of the most reliable tools for gaming on Mac, its discontinuation is noted with a sense of loss, yet its developer, Isaac Marovitz, is encouraging users to transition to CodeWeavers’ CrossOver product.
At just 18 years old and juggling his studies at Northeastern University, Marovitz indicated that he is in need of a break from the demanding project. He clarified on his blog that the Whisky project had been in a stagnant state for several months. His announcement aimed to address the many inquiries regarding its status.
Minimal Contribution to Wine Community
Marovitz is no stranger to the development world; he has previously contributed to projects such as the Switch emulator Ryujinx, which halted after a deal with Nintendo, and other gaming initiatives like PlayCover. While the need for a break is apparent, another crucial factor influenced his decision to halt Whisky’s development. He expressed concerns about Whisky’s impact on the broader Wine community, stating that its contributions were negligible.
He advised Whisky users to consider purchasing a CrossOver license, noting that while CodeWeavers and Valve’s collaboration on Proton significantly advanced the Wine project, Whisky itself offered little in terms of meaningful contributions. Marovitz elaborated that effective fixes for running Mac games on Wine must come from highly skilled developers familiar with C, Wine, Windows, and macOS—a limited pool in the development community.
During the creation of Whisky, Marovitz had some interactions with CodeWeavers but felt that their input was more curious rather than directive. However, he recognized that Whisky’s existence posed a potential threat to CrossOver’s sustainability based on the insights he gained from CodeWeavers and the overall community attitude.
A Gracious Farewell
In a recent blog post, CodeWeavers CEO James B. Ramey addressed the shutdown of Whisky, highlighting it with a symbolic image of whisky clinking against wine. He emphasized that although Whisky was a competitor to CrossOver, the focus now is one of understanding and empathy for Marovitz’s situation.
Ramey acknowledged that Whisky was a free rendition of an open-source project crafted by a dedicated developer passionate about expanding user choices. However, he also recognized the immense pressure Marovitz faced regarding game compatibility, performance, and user expectations. He noted that sustaining a project like CodeWeavers requires significant resources and that the viability of CrossOver directly informs the future of the Wine and Proton development landscape and macOS gaming support.
In a commendable gesture, Ramey expressed admiration for Marovitz’s contributions to the Mac gaming community despite the project’s discontinuation, opting for a respectful “tip our cap” rather than a direct beverage analogy.
Marovitz later clarified that while user expectations certainly played a role, they were not the primary reason for the project’s cessation. He indicated that his experience with larger projects had equipped him to manage user feedback effectively.
The trend of open-source projects shutting down due to the immense demands placed on volunteer developers is common. However, Marovitz’s decision to step back stems from a belief that Whisky could be more harmful than beneficial to the broader ecosystem. Throughout its operation, Whisky did raise awareness about Mac gaming and the functionality of Wine, alongside Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit, which itself is based on CrossOver.
Even as he withdraws from Whisky, Marovitz remains committed to the Mac gaming community. He is currently involved in the recompilation of Sonic Unleashed for Mac, among other pursuits, maintaining his enthusiasm and goals within the gaming landscape.
