Fortnite is slated to launch on Linux, a significant step for the popular battle royale game, contingent on Epic Games improving its Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) system. The company announced that it is "rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat" to support the Linux operating system. Once the new version, EAC Linux v2, is compatible with a significant number of Linux distribution maintainers, Fortnite will be made available through the Epic Games Launcher. Epic also plans to share these anti-cheat improvements with other developers to facilitate their own Linux releases.
The expansion of PC gaming to Linux has been bolstered by technologies like Valve's Proton, which enables many Windows games to run on SteamOS and has been crucial for the Steam Deck's functionality. However, major multiplayer titles have often remained exclusive to Windows due to concerns about security and the potential for cheating. Developers have previously cited the difficulty of managing anti-cheat systems across different Linux environments as a barrier. For instance, the developer of the survival game Rust stated last year that it had no plans for Linux or Proton support, citing that the platform could be exploited by cheat developers with little oversight.
Epic's initiative could alter this landscape, potentially encouraging other developers to support Linux. A notable challenge, however, is that the Steam Deck, the most popular platform for Linux gaming, does not currently support EAC Linux v2, according to Epic's technical documentation. Epic has stated that it is in active discussions with Valve to address this compatibility issue. Regarding Fortnite specifically, Epic Games' game security engineering director Rick Deist indicated that the company is investigating compatibility for Steam Deck and SteamOS devices. This development follows the recent release of a new Epic Games Store client, which includes a Linux version for the first time.
"We want to let players play where they want to play as much as possible," Deist remarked.