Apex Legends Drops Steam Deck Support Amid Rampant Cheats

Apex Legends Drops Linux Support Due to Cheating Surge

Electronic Arts (EA) has removed support for Apex Legends on all Linux-based systems, including the popular Steam Deck handheld console. This decision, detailed in a recent blog post by EA Community Manager EA_Mako, cites the open-source nature of Linux as a significant contributor to rampant cheating.

EA claims that Linux provides "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats," making cheat detection significantly more difficult. The company notes that the number of Linux-based cheats is increasing at an unsustainable rate, demanding disproportionate resources from their anti-cheat team.

The flexibility of Linux also allows cheaters to effectively mask their activities, further hindering EA's efforts to maintain a fair playing environment. EA_Mako emphasized the difficulty in distinguishing legitimate Steam Deck users from cheaters, stating that currently, there's no reliable method to differentiate between the two.

This decision, while acknowledged as difficult, was deemed necessary to protect the integrity of the game for the vast majority of players on other platforms. EA weighed the impact on Linux users against the overall health of the Apex Legends community, ultimately prioritizing the latter.

The blog post clarifies that this change only affects Linux users; players on other supported platforms will experience no disruption to their gameplay. While disappointing for some, EA maintains this is a crucial step in combating cheating and ensuring a fair and enjoyable experience for all Apex Legends players.