Epic Games has announced a significant update to its Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) software, enabling its flagship battle royale, Fortnite, to run on Linux configurations. This move comes after years of Epic expressing concerns about effectively combating cheaters across various kernel setups.
Previously, EAC supported native Linux game clients since 2014, and in 2021, support was added for running Windows game builds on Linux via Wine/Proton. However, this latter support was opt-in for individual games, and many developers, including Epic for Fortnite, had not opted in due to perceived limitations in anti-cheat protection compared to the Windows implementation.
"Cheating in online games was once a small cottage industry," Epic stated in a blog post, "but it has become a billion-dollar market where cheat operators sell subscriptions for cheating tools that are updated frequently and require minimal technical skill to use. Without effective anti-cheat measures, these operators can drive enough players away from a game that it's no longer financially viable for the game developer to run."
The newly developed EAC Linux v2 aims to bring Linux support closer to par with Windows. It will leverage existing Linux security features such as signed kernel modules, secure boot with attestation, measured boot, the kernel lockdown LSM, and IOMMU support, alongside eBPF logic for integrity and cheat detection. Epic plans to test this new version in Fortnite before making it available to other multiplayer games that utilize EAC. Developers already using EAC will retain the option to use the older, more compatible implementation if preferred.
Epic clarified that, unlike the Windows version which relies on a kernel driver, EAC Linux v2 will not use an equivalent kernel module. Instead, it will capitalize on the aforementioned Linux platform security features. These requirements may necessitate configuration changes on certain Linux distributions.
The announcement also coincides with the release of a new version of the Epic Games Launcher, which now functions on Linux. Despite these advancements, Fortnite's compatibility with the Steam Deck is not yet confirmed. Epic stated, "The Steam Deck does not support the required features for our EAC v2 solution, but we are actively talking with Valve and hope to support it in the future."
For users attempting to launch a protected game without meeting the EAC Linux v2 requirements, an error message will appear, but Epic assures that no account bans or retaliatory measures will be taken.