"Apex Legends Removes Steam Deck Support Amid Cheating Surge"

Electronic Arts (EA) has made the tough decision to block all Linux-based systems, including the popular Steam Deck, from accessing Apex Legends. This move has stirred the gaming community, leaving many players wondering about the future of their gaming experience. Dive in to understand the reasoning behind EA's decision to drop support for Apex Legends on Linux devices.

Steam Deck Players to Permanently Lose Access to Apex Legends

EA Calls Linux "A Path for a Variety of Impactful Exploits and Cheats"

In a significant shift affecting Linux users, especially those on the Steam Deck, EA has announced that Apex Legends will no longer be accessible on devices running Linux. The decision stems from growing security concerns related to the open-source nature of the platform, which EA claims has become "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats."

EA's Community Manager, EA_Mako, shed light on this change through a detailed blog post. They noted, "The openness of the Linux operating systems makes it an attractive target for cheaters and cheat developers. Linux cheats are indeed harder to detect, and our data shows that they are growing at an alarming rate, necessitating significant focus and attention from our team for a relatively small platform."

The concern goes beyond just Linux users exploiting the system; the platform’s flexibility also enables malicious actors to mask their cheats, making enforcement more challenging.

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

EA_Mako acknowledged that excluding an entire segment of players was a difficult decision. "We had to weigh the impact on the number of players who were legitimately enjoying the game on Linux/the Steam Deck against the overall health and fairness of the Apex Legends community," they stated, indicating that the well-being of the broader player base was the priority.

Moreover, EA highlighted the technical challenges in distinguishing legitimate Steam Deck users from those using the platform for cheating. "Linux is the default operating system on the Steam Deck. Currently, there is no foolproof way for us to differentiate a genuine Steam Deck user from a malicious actor claiming to be one," EA_Mako explained, highlighting the complexities of managing open-source operating systems.

While this decision may disappoint many Apex Legends enthusiasts and Linux supporters, EA asserts that it is essential for maintaining the integrity and fairness of the game across its supported platforms, which will continue to function as usual without any impact from this change.