Last year, we were so obsessed with Apple deprecating OpenGL (spoiler: no real consequences have been seen one year later), we missed the real issue looming on the horizon: the removal of 32-bit support.
With the next version of macOS, Catalina, games not updated to 64-bit will no longer work at all. Catalina will be released this Fall, which means that by the end of the year, you will unable to play several games you own if you decide to upgrade.
Some developers, such as Aspyr and Feral Interactive, have been proactive about which of their back-catalog games won’t be updated to 64-bit. But there are potentially hundreds of 32-bit Mac games that will never be updated.
To help you navigate these uncertain times, we decided to track all the games we know won’t be updated:
| Game | Developer | Genre | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of empires III | Ensemble Studios | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Age of Mythology | Ensemble Studios | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Age of Wonders 3 | Triumph Studios | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Anomaly 2 | 11 Bit Studios | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Assassin's Creed 2 | Ubisoft | Action Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| Assassin's Creed II | Ubisoft | Action | Not Yet Updated |
| Ballistic Overload | Aquiris Game Studio | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Battlestations: Midway | Feral Interactive | Action | Discontinued |
| Battlestations: Pacific | Feral Interactive | Action | Discontinued |
| BioShock 2 | Feral Interactive | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Bioshock Infinite | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Brawlhalla | Blue Mammoth Games | Action | Not Yet Updated |
| Call of Duty | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Call of Duty 2 | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Call of Duty 4 | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Call of Duty Black Ops | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Cave Story | Studio Pixel | Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| Chaos Reborn | Snapshot Games | RPG | Not Yet Updated |
| Civilization IV | Aspyr | Strategy | Discontinued |
| Civilization IV: Colonization | Aspyr | Strategy | Discontinued |
| Counter-Strike: Source | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Crusader Kings 2 | Paradox Development | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| CSR Racing | Boss Alien | Racing | Not Yet Updated |
| Dead Island | Techland | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Diablo II | Blizzard | RPG | Not Yet Updated |
| DiRT Showdown | Codemasters | Racing | Not Yet Updated |
| Distance | Refract Studios | Racing | Not Yet Updated |
| Doom 3 | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Duke Nukem Forever | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Europa Universalis 4 | Paradox Development | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Fahrenheit | Aspyr | Action | Discontinued |
| FlatOut 2 | Bugbear Entertainment | Racing | Not Yet Updated |
| Geometry Wars 3 | Aspyr | Action | Discontinued |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Rockstar | Action | Not Yet Updated |
| GRID 2 | Feral Interactive | Racing | Discontinued |
| Grim Fandango Remastered | Double Fine | Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| GTA San Andreas | Rockstar | Action Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| Guts and Glory | HakJak Productions | Racing | Not Yet Updated |
| Half-Life | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Half-Life 2 | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Heathstone | Blizzard | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Heroes of Might and Magic V | Nival | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Homeworld Remastered Collection | Aspyr | Strategy | Discontinued |
| Killing Floor | Tripwire Interactive | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Kingdom: Classic | Noio | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Left 4 Dead | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Left 4 Dead 2 | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| LEGO Batman | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| LEGO Indiana Jones 2 | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| LEGO Star Wars III: Clone Wars | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Mini Ninjas | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Monaco | Pocketwatch Games | Action Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| Myth 2 | Bungie | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Never Alone | Upper One Games | Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced | Beamdog | RPG | Not Yet Updated |
| Portal | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Portal 2 | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Prey | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Psychonauts | Double Fine | Action Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| Punch Club | Lazy Bear Games | RPG | Not Yet Updated |
| Quake 4 | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| RAGE | Aspyr | FPS | Discontinued |
| Rayman Origins | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| RC Mini Racers | Decane | Racing | Not Yet Updated |
| Rocksmith 2014 | Ubisoft | Simulation | Not Yet Updated |
| Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition | Aspyr | Adventure | Discontinued |
| SEGA Superstars Tennis | Feral Interactive | Sports | Discontinued |
| Shadow Warrior | Flying Wild Hog | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| ShadowFight 2 | Nekki | Fighting | Not Yet Updated |
| Sid Meier's Pirates! | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Discontinued |
| Sims 2: Castaway Stories | Aspyr | Simulation | Discontinued |
| Sims 2: Life Stories | Aspyr | Simulation | Discontinued |
| Sims 2: Pet Stories | Aspyr | Simulation | Discontinued |
| Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing | Feral Interactive | Racing | Discontinued |
| Spec Ops: The Line | Yager Development | Action | Not Yet Updated |
| Star Wars: Empire at War | Aspyr | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Star Wars: Jedi Academy | Aspyr | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Star Wars: Jedi Outcast | Aspyr | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Star Wars: The Force Unleashed | Aspyr | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Starcraft | Blizzard | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Stellaris | Paradox Development Studio | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Team Fortress 2 | Valve | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| The Bard's Tale | inXile | RPG | Not Yet Updated |
| The Darkness II | Digital Extremes | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| The LEGO Movie Videogame | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| The Walking Dead | Telltale Games | Action Adventure | Not Yet Updated |
| Tomb Raider 2 | Aspyr | Action | Discontinued |
| Tomb Raider: Anniversary | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Tomb Raider: Underworld | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Discontinued |
| Undertale | Toby Fox | RPG | Not Yet Updated |
| Unreal Tournament 2004 | Epic Games | FPS | Not Yet Updated |
| Warcraft 3 | Blizzard | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
| Xenonauts | Goldhawk Interactive | Strategy | Not Yet Updated |
PS: Are you aware of other games? Let us know! We want to ensure this list stays up to date.
To be fair with developers, we are also tracking the back-catalog games that have been updated to 64-bit (new games are all 64-bit):
| Game | Developer | Genre | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARK: Survival Evolved | Studio Wildcard | FPS | Updated |
| Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced | Beamdog | RPG | Updated |
| Baldur's Gate: Enhanced | Beamdog | RPG | Updated |
| Batman: Arkham City | Feral Interactive | Shooter | Updated |
| Battletech | Harebrained Schemes | Strategy | Updated |
| Borderlands 2 | Aspyr | Action | Updated |
| Chivalry: Medieval Warfare | Torn Banner Studios | Action | Updated |
| Cities: Skylines | Colossal Order | Strategy | Updated |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Valve | FPS | Updated |
| Cuphead | Studio MDHR | Action Adventure | Updated |
| Dawn of Man | Madruga Works | Strategy | Updated |
| Dying Light | Techland | FPS | Updated |
| EVE Online (beta) | CCP Games | MMO | Updated |
| Guild Wars 2 | ArenaNet | MMO | Updated |
| House Flipper | Empyrean | Simulation | Updated |
| Icewind Dale: Enhanced | Beamdog | RPG | Updated |
| Insurgency | New World Interactive | FPS | Updated |
| Into the Breach | Subset Games | Strategy | Updated |
| Layers of Fear | Bloober Team | Horror | Updated |
| League of Legends | Riot | MOBA | Updated |
| Maelstrom | Ambrosia | Action | Updated |
| Metro Redux 2033 | 4A Games | FPS | Updated |
| Micro Machines World Series | Supersonic Software | Racing | Updated |
| Minecraft | Mojang | Action Adventure | Updated |
| Northgard | Shiro | Strategy | Updated |
| Oxygen Not Included | Klei Entertainment | Simulation | Updated |
| Pillars of Eternity 2 | Obsidian Entertainment | RPG | Updated |
| Planescape Torment: Enhanced | Beamdog | RPG | Updated |
| Prison Architect | Paradox Interactive | Simulation | Updated |
| Project Zomboid | The Indie Stone | Horror | Updated |
| Race the Sun | Flippfly | Racing | Updated |
| Rise of Industry | Dapper Penguin Studios | Simulation | Updated |
| Rocket League | Psyonix | Sports | Updated |
| Rust | Facepunch Studios | FPS | Updated |
| Stasis | THE BROTHERHOOD | Horror | Updated |
| Stellaris | Paradox Development | Strategy | Updated |
| SUPERHOT | SUPERHOT Team | FPS | Updated |
| Surviving Mars | Haemimont Games | Strategy | Updated |
| The Elder Scrolls Online | ZeniMax | MMO | Updated |
| The Long Dark | Hinterland Studio | Survival | Updated |
| The Sims 4 | Maxis | Simulation | Updated |
| Tooth and Tail | Pocketwatch Games | Strategy | Updated |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Updated |
How do I check if an app is 32-bit or 64-bit?
As explained by Apple, finding out if a game supports 64-bit is easy:
- From the Apple menu, choose About This Mac
- Click the System Report button
- Scroll down to Software in the sidebar
- Select Applications
When selecting an individual application, you will see a field titled 64-bit (Intel). “Yes” indicates 64-bit; “No” indicates 32-bit:
Once you’re done, you can share a screenshot such as this one with us here and we’ll update the list accordingly!
This is only the beginning
Keep in mind we are only covering the games we are certain about. There will likely be hundreds of indie developers who will not have the resources to update their older games. And the same goes for big publishers. Even if they have the budget, many will choose not to update their older games that don’t sell well anymore. Sad but that’s how things will play out…
This is why we to help each other out. If you know about a game that we are certain it will not be updated to 64-bit, let us know!
What if you really need a 32-bit app?
If one of your favorite games is part of the list above and you want to keep playing it for many more years, you can always hold off and not upgrade your Mac to macOS Catalina. With time, Macs that are not on macOS Catalina will miss on important new features and updates but it’s still a solution in the middle term.
When is macOS Catalina arriving?
According to OSX Daily, Catalina is coming this fall, which means sometime after September 27, 2019:
Are you worried some of your favorites games will no longer be supported? Let us know in the comments section.
Bioshock Infinite is on my List of Games to play.
I will have to finish it, before Catalina arrives.
You can still run your games by loading PARAELLS on APPLE I did this and I can run all my old games thank you NJJ.
Glad they updated Borderlands 2.Still love that game.
And what about bootcamp with PC version ? I guess all pc versions of these games will be updated to 64.
BootCamp (i.e. Windows games) aren’t affected.
Way easier than Boot Camp would be just dual-booting Mojave and Catalina.
Other than Windows, macOS allows installation on external media so you’re not limited to your internal drive capacity.
What about Crusader Kings 2?
EVE Online is in 64-bit beta currently so some good news there
Personally even with a mid-2017 iMac I am still going to give Catalina a miss.
Odd how GOG Galaxy is a YES but Steam shows up as NO on my system. Also, none of my installed Steam games even show up on the list, nor do many of the games I have on my system.
The Steam client has been mostly 64-bit for a while, but there is a small launcher app that apparently doesn’t get updated automatically. You can fix this by trashing (or renaming) the old Steam app and downloading a fresh new one. (You won’t lose any Steam settings or game installs.)
Halo Combat Evolved.
Unreal Tournament 2004.
🙁
Hey Ric this is not the end of the world in my opinion.Sure some of those games listed are favorites and if so do not update for awhile.I read somewhere that from here on out Aspyr is going 64 bit only on there future offerings .All my 64 bit games run pretty good and metal really flies.I would rather quality over quantity anyway and this is just one mans opinion.Just to let you know the updated games listed work great.ps..i hope tf2 gets updated.
The easiest solution is to just keep a Mojave installation around for legacy games!
Unlike Boot Camp, that doesn’t have to be on your internal drive, can be any external disk or USB thumbdrive, so you could even use it on several Macs if you need to.
So unless platforms like Steam decide to drop support for Mojave one day, we can keep on playing all the 32bit games we own.
I agree that this is a great option. But note that the version of macOS that came with your Mac is the earliest version compatible with that Mac. So the next time you upgrade your hardware you will be out of luck.
That is true indeed. In that case, it’s probably best to keep some older Mac around.
Counter Strike Global Offensive is working on Catalina.
TF2 not yet 🙁
Can anyone confirm if the Baldur’s Gate (Enhanced Edition) I and II games are 64-bit compatible? They are listed as most recent update version 2.5.x at the MAS. But the MAS tells you nothing about 32 or 64 bit compatibility in games.
Yes they are.
Guild Wars 2 does not work with Catalina currently. The main app is 64 bit so Catalina says it is ok … and then part of it calls some 32 bit code (running their store, crucial to the game dochaknow). Resulting in a crash. The developers have yet to say what the status of it is.