EA and Respawn Entertainment are rolling out a change to Apex Legends that will no longer allow players to access the game via the Linux operating system, including Steam Deck using Linux.
The developers announced their departure from Linux support entry on your website. While it’s a move that will no doubt surprise those involved, EA says dropping support for operating system options is part of the company’s broader initiative to maintain “competitive integrity” and fight cheaters.
“In our anti-fraud efforts at Apex, we have identified the Linux operating system as a pathway for a number of impactful exploits and scams,” the post reads. “As a result, we have decided to block access to the game for the Linux operating system. While this will impact a small number of Apex players, we believe this decision will significantly reduce the incidence of cheating in our game.
EA calls Linux an “attractive” operating system for those who want to cheat for various reasons. The thought process behind this decision was to weigh the number of legitimate Linux players against the impact of the increasing number of cheaters on the average Apex Legend fan. While it’s unclear how many players exactly use Linux when playing Apex Legends, EA and Respawn say it’s a compromise they’re willing to make.
The reason the team says it will end support for Steam Deck, which uses Linux by default, is that “there is currently no reliable way to distinguish a legitimate Steam Deck from malicious code masquerading as Steam Deck (via Linux).” However, if mobile users manage to install and use Windows on Steam Deck instead, they will be able to continue playing on that device. So while developers continue to crack down on cheaters plaguing the long-running Battle Royale game, all Linux users will no longer be able to enjoy the experience at all.
“To eliminate this fraud vector, we have made the decision to prevent access to the game for Linux users,” EA continues. “This means that Apex Legends will immediately become unplayable for people using this operating system.”
Apex Legends brought the Titanfall universe to the free-to-play Battle Royale world in 2019. We gave it a 9/10 our reviewsaying that “the combination of exciting characters, excellent gunplay and unrivaled movement in a first-person shooter makes the game a consistently fresh thrill.” Although fans were introduced to the first-person shooter’s gameplay immediately after its release, it was not without its problems. Respawn announced that yes make changes to the Battle Pass model in July this year, but quickly reverted many changes after widespread fan outrage.
Apex Legends Season 22titled Shockwave, is currently coming to an end, and Season 23 will soon continue its long series of seasonal updates. As for the distant future, EA recently confirmed that yes lack of interest in creating Apex Legends 2.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor to IGN. He began writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work on outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP and Gameranx.
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