Steam Deck Anti-Cheat Woes Force Apex Legends Removal

EA has blocked all Linux-based systems, including the Steam Deck, from accessing Apex Legends**. Read on to learn more about the situation and why EA is dropping support for Apex Legends on all Linux devices.

Steam Deck Players to Permanently Lose Access to Apex LegendsEA Calls Linux "A Path for a Variety of Impactful Exploits and Cheats"

In a move impacting Linux users, including those on Steam Deck, Electronic Arts (EA) announced that Apex Legends will no longer support devices running Linux. EA attributed the decision to the rising security risks associated with the open-source platform, which they say has become "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats."

EA Community Manager EA_Mako addressed the change in a blog post, explaining, "The openness of the Linux operating systems makes it an attractive one for cheaters and cheat developers. Linux cheats are indeed harder to detect, and the data shows that they are growing at a rate that requires an outsized level of focus and attention from the team for a relatively small platform."

EA’s concern, it seems, extends beyond just Linux users exploiting the system, as the platform’s flexibility allows malicious actors to mask cheats, complicating enforcement measures.

A Difficult, But Necessary Decision for the Broader Apex Legends Community

EA_Mako acknowledged that blocking an entire segment of players was not a decision taken lightly. "We had to weigh the decision on the number of players who were legitimately playing on Linux/the Steam Deck versus the greater wellbeing of the population of players for Apex," they explained, suggesting that the wellbeing of the broader player community outweighed the costs to Linux users.

Additionally, EA emphasized the challenge of distinguishing legitimate Steam Deck users from cheat developers. "Linux is used by default on the Steam Deck. 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)," Mako elaborated, underscoring the technical difficulties EA faces with open-source operating systems.

While many Apex Legends players and Linux advocates may find the decision disappointing, EA maintains it’s a vital measure to preserve the security and fairness of the game for its broader player base across Steam and its other supported platforms, who, as confirmed in the blog post, will remain unaffected by this change.