Developer Psyonix has explained why it is shutting down Mac and Linux support for its hugely successful game, Rocket League.

It announced at the end of last week that online functions for both versions will be withdrawn from March. The game will still work locally, with LAN and split-screen play available after a final patch, but any Steam maps or custom training packs must be downloaded before the patch arrives.

For those disappointed in the decision to no longer support macOS or Linux, Psyonix also detailed procedures on Reddit for getting a full refund from Steam:

- Go to the Steam Support website.

- Select Purchases.

- Select Rocket League (you may need to select “View complete purchasing history” to see it).

- Select I would like a refund, then I'd like to request a refund.

- From the Reason dropdown menu, select My issue isn’t listed.

- In notes, write Please refund my Mac/Linux version of Rocket League, Psyonix will be discontinuing support.

In addition, it explained why it is shutting down support:

"Rocket League is an evolving game, and part of that evolution is keeping our game client up to date with modern features. As part of that evolution, we'll be updating our Windows version from 32-bit to 64-bit later this year, as well as updating to DirectX 11 from DirectX 9...

"Unfortunately, our macOS and Linux native clients depend on our DX9 implementation for their OpenGL renderer to function. When we stop supporting DX9, those clients stop working...

"The number of active players on macOS and Linux combined represents less than 0.3% of our active player base. Given that, we cannot justify the additional and ongoing investment in developing native clients for those platforms."

There is a workaround for affected players, though. They can play the Windows version through emulation software, such as Bootcamp or Wine respectively.