Cheating Surge Leads to Apex Legends Dropping Steam Deck Support

Electronic Arts (EA) has made the tough decision to block all Linux-based systems, including the Steam Deck, from accessing Apex Legends. This move comes in response to the growing issue of cheating facilitated by the open-source nature of Linux. Here's a detailed look at why EA is dropping support for Apex Legends on all 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 move affecting Linux users, including those on the Steam Deck, EA has announced that Apex Legends will no longer be supported on devices running Linux. The decision stems from the increasing security risks associated with the open-source platform, which EA identifies as "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats."

EA Community Manager EA_Mako elaborated on this change in a blog post, stating, "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."

The concern extends beyond just Linux users exploiting the system; the platform's flexibility allows malicious actors to mask cheats, making enforcement measures more challenging.

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 health of the population of players for Apex," they explained, indicating that the well-being of the broader player community outweighed the costs to Linux users.

Moreover, EA highlighted 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, emphasizing the technical difficulties EA faces with open-source operating systems.

While this decision may disappoint many Apex Legends players and Linux advocates, EA maintains that it's a necessary measure to preserve the integrity and fairness of the game for its broader player base across Steam and other supported platforms, which will remain unaffected by this change.