Apex Legends will no longer support Steam Deck and Linux.
One of the few battle royale games that had support for the Deck.
Apex Legends is one of the few video games in the battle royale genre that offers support for the Steam Deck handheld console. On the other hand, titles like Fortnite, Valorant, and PUBG have never provided this option due to concerns related to cheating. However, recently, Electronic Arts and Respawn have decided to withdraw access to Apex Legends on this platform, arguing that the Linux operating system is a medium that allows for the development of multiple exploits and cheats.
In a blog post, EA explained that while Apex Legends had anti-cheat software that worked on Steam Deck—specifically, it uses Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) from Epic Games, which has been compatible with the handheld for over three years—this solution is no longer considered sufficient. Tim Sweeney from Epic Games had previously expressed that the "threat model" in 2022 was too broad, and now EA shares similar concerns about cheats on Linux, which are more difficult to detect and have increased at a rate that demands additional attention, despite the relatively small number of players on this platform.
In this regard, Riot Games has chosen not to support Valorant and League of Legends on Linux, citing the increase in cheating as one of the reasons. Phillip Koskinas, the anti-cheat director for Valorant, mentioned in an interview that the open system of Linux allows modification of the system kernel, which facilitates the creation of a distribution specifically designed for cheating.
Koskinas suggests that if the Steam Deck had security measures that confirmed its authenticity, it could be played without issues. Nevertheless, uncertainty remains about whether the concern primarily lies with the Linux system or the need for greater investments in creative solutions, given the small number of users. EA has also indicated that it will maintain support for Apex Legends on Steam Deck if players choose to install Windows. Still, Valve has not released a dual-boot installer that facilitates this setup, although it has improved some of the necessary drivers for Windows.
