Epic Games is rebuilding its Easy Anti-Cheat software to bring Fortnite Linux support to players for the first time, the company confirmed on Wednesday. The new system, called EAC Linux v2, is designed to solve the security problems that have kept Fortnite off Linux machines for years, according to The Verge.
Easy Anti-Cheat already works on Linux, but Fortnite itself never has, The Verge reported. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney explained the holdup in a February 2022 statement cited by the outlet, saying, “We don’t have confidence that we’d be able to combat cheating at scale under a wide array of kernel configurations.”
The Main Development
Rick Deist, Epic’s engineering director, said the company is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat and working with distribution maintainers on security requirements to make Fortnite Linux support a reality. “To bring Fortnite to Linux, we are rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) and working with distro maintainers on security requirements. Once it’s working with a critical mass of distro maintainers, we’ll bring Fortnite to Linux via the Epic Games Launcher,” Deist said, according to The Verge. “We’ll also make these improvements available to other developers so they can bring their games to Linux players.”
GameSpot reported that Epic plans to pilot EAC Linux v2 in Fortnite first, testing the system in a live environment and refining it based on what the company learns. Deist told the outlet that once Epic validates the system’s effectiveness, it will make EAC Linux v2 available to other game developers working on multiplayer titles.
As part of the rollout, Epic released the Epic Games Launcher in preview for Linux on Oct. 14, marking the first time the launcher has been available on the platform, The Verge reported. No timeline has been announced for when Fortnite itself will actually launch on Linux.
What It Means For Fans
The move could open the door for Fortnite on devices like the Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine, both of which run on Linux-based systems and have made Linux gaming more appealing to a broader audience, according to GameSpot. Epic previously offered a Linux version of its current anti-cheat software, but GameSpot reported that most developers chose not to use it because it could not protect games as effectively as the Windows version. Steam Deck compatibility is not guaranteed yet.
Martin Keely, Epic Games Store vice president and general manager, told The Verge that “The Steam Deck does not support the required features for our EAC v2 solution, but we are actively talking with Valve and hope to support it in the future.” Epic is investigating whether Fortnite can run on Valve’s SteamOS, though the company does not plan to bring Fortnite to the Steam store itself, The Verge reported.
Rick Deist, described by PC Gamer as Epic’s game security engineering director, said the company wants flexibility for its player base. “We want to let players play where they want to play as much as possible,” Deist told PC Gamer.
Background And Context
The anti-cheat overhaul matters beyond Fortnite. Epic has said the improvements made for EAC Linux v2 will be shared with other developers so they can bring their own multiplayer games to Linux players, according to GameSpot. That could eventually expand the library of anti-cheat protected multiplayer titles available on Linux systems, including Steam Deck and other handheld devices, though Epic has not detailed which specific technical changes separate EAC Linux v2 from the current version.
What’s Next
Epic has not announced a release date for Fortnite on Linux. The company says it needs a critical mass of distribution maintainers on board before launching the game through the Epic Games Launcher, and talks with Valve over Steam Deck support remain ongoing without a stated timeline. Players interested in testing the new launcher can already download the Linux preview version of the Epic Games Launcher.
For more on Epic’s other business and platform moves, read about Disney’s denied acquisition talks with Epic Games.
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