Highball
What actually works instead
Cloud streaming runs the real Windows build on someone else's machine, so the anti-cheat is satisfied. GeForce NOW has a native Mac app and Xbox Cloud Gaming runs in a browser; both publish the games they carry. And before assuming you need any of this, check whether the game already has a native Mac build — a native build beats translation every time.
Notes
Does not start. Its launcher runs, then the game stops on a breakpoint, which is how Tencent's Anti-Cheat Expert refuses to run. It fails the same way on Linux.
Provenance
Reported by udance4ever (highball-db#807, 2026-10-29), Apple M1, macOS 27.0.1, Highball 0.10.22, engine x64-sikarugir10.0_6-r28, D3DMetal, rated 1 of 5: no window after 35 minutes. Their log shows metal_slug_launcher.exe starting, then two threads ending on breakpoint exceptions (0x80000003) at the same address, Wine's debugger starting, and nothing after. Not verified by the maintainer.
Common questions
Does Metal Slug: Awakening work on Mac?
No. Metal Slug: Awakening uses kernel-level anti-cheat, which needs a Windows kernel driver. Compatibility layers such as Highball, CrossOver and Whisky run entirely in user space, so there is nothing for that driver to load into, and virtual machines have the same limit. Cloud streaming runs the real Windows build remotely, which is why it works.
Can I play Metal Slug: Awakening on Mac with CrossOver or Parallels?
No. The same limit applies to every compatibility layer and to virtual machines: the anti-cheat driver cannot load. Streaming is the only route.
Contribute a result
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