Apex Legends Steam Deck Support Axed Amidst Cheating Surge

Electronic Arts (EA) has ended Apex Legends support for all Linux-based systems, including the Steam Deck, due to widespread cheating. This decision impacts a significant portion of the player base utilizing Linux devices.

Steam Deck Players Permanently Lose Apex Legends Access

EA Cites Linux as a Breeding Ground for Exploits and Cheats

EA's announcement cites the open-source nature of Linux as a major factor. Their statement highlights the platform's vulnerability to cheats and exploits, stating that it has become "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats." The increased difficulty in detecting and addressing these cheats on Linux, coupled with their rapid growth, led to the decision.

EA Community Manager EA_Mako explained in a blog post that Linux's open nature makes it attractive to cheat developers. These cheats are harder to detect, requiring disproportionate resources from the development team to combat, especially considering the relatively small number of Linux users. The platform's flexibility also allows malicious actors to effectively mask their cheats, further complicating enforcement.

A Difficult but Necessary Decision to Protect the Apex Legends Community

EA_Mako acknowledged the impact on Linux users, emphasizing that the decision was not made lightly. The blog post explains that the decision was made by weighing the number of legitimate Linux/Steam Deck players against the overall health of the game's larger player base. Maintaining fairness and integrity for the majority of players ultimately took precedence.

The difficulty in distinguishing legitimate Steam Deck users from cheaters further complicated the issue. Since Linux is the default operating system on the Steam Deck, EA lacks a reliable method to differentiate between legitimate players and those using cheats disguised as Steam Deck users.

While this decision will undoubtedly disappoint many Apex Legends players and Linux advocates, EA maintains that it's a necessary step to preserve the game's integrity and ensure fair gameplay for the vast majority of players on Steam and other supported platforms. These players will remain unaffected by this change.