EA and Respawn Entertainment have announced on the official EA website that they are shifting away from Linux support for Apex Legends. This means that those using a Steam Deck will no longer be able to play the game, as the Steam Deck runs Linux OS. This move likely comes as a shock to many, as games such as these are quite popular to play on handheld consoles. However, EA mentions that they are dropping support for Linux OS in an attempt to maintain “competitive integrity” and to fight off cheaters. This isn’t the only game to drop Steam Deck support, as Grand Theft Auto V also went from being the most played game on the Steam Deck to unsupported due to Rockstar Games adding an anti-cheat that is unsupported on Steam Deck.
This announcement made by EA and Respawn Entertainment says: “In our efforts to combat cheating in Apex, we’ve identified Linux OS as being a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats. As a result, we’ve decided to block Linux OS access to the game. While this will impact a small number of Apex players, we believe the decision will meaningfully reduce instances of cheating in our game.”
It’s a well-known fact that there are ways to modify the Steam Deck, and adding ways to cheat in a game seems to be no different. People have managed to get Blizzard games running on their Steam Deck, as well as emulated Nintendo games. The handheld seems to have no bounds, as long as the person knows what they’re doing.
EA has mentioned that Linux is an “attractive” OS for those who want to cheat in the game. This comes after they looked into the number of legitimate players using Linux against those who are cheating and utilizing Linux. It’s not known how many are using Linux to cheat, but EA and Respawn Entertainment are willing to take the risk in doing so.
By default, it means that the Steam Deck will be unsupported, as there is “currently no reliable way for us to differentiate a legitimate Steam Deck from a malicious cheat claiming to be a Steam Deck (via Linux.)” However, people have managed to install Windows on their Steam Deck. In doing so, this means that those using it will be able to continue playing Apex Legends on their handheld. Whether they will change this decision in the future will depend on how successful they are in stamping out cheaters by limiting Linux users.
