Don’t get me wrong i love valve and what they have done for gaming as a concept, as a linux i would not Be able to game as i do if it was not for proton.
If I'm reading you right, you're saying you couldn't play those games without steam because of proton? If that's what you're getting at, if you take your copies obtained from the high seas, you should be able to play them through lutris. It works for me.
The way I see it is if I'm forced to watch ads when watching something, I won't watch it. In that case, no ad revenue for you because I'm not watching your shit. Now, If I watch it with no ads, you get the same result, BUT I might tell someone to watch your shit or buy some merch. That person I told to watch it might watch your ads and that person would not have watched you without me telling them to. You're up 1 revenue.
The corporate greed is out of control. The amount of bullshit ads and tracking is insane. I'm blown away by the people that defend this shit.