Apex Legends Steam Deck Support Removed Due to Rampant Cheating

Apex Legends Removes Steam Deck Support Due to Cheating Surge

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced the termination of Apex Legends support for all Linux-based systems, including the popular Steam Deck handheld. This decision, detailed in a recent blog post by EA Community Manager EA_Mako, cites the escalating prevalence of cheats and exploits originating from the Linux platform.

EA characterizes Linux's open-source nature as a significant vulnerability, stating it provides "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats." The company highlights the difficulty in detecting these cheats, which are reportedly proliferating at an unsustainable rate. Furthermore, the flexibility of Linux allows malicious actors to effectively mask their cheating activities, hindering EA's anti-cheat efforts.

EA_Mako emphasized the difficult choice involved, acknowledging the impact on legitimate Linux and Steam Deck users. However, the blog post explains that maintaining the overall integrity of the game for the majority of players necessitated this action. The inability to reliably distinguish between legitimate Steam Deck users and cheaters, due to Linux being the default operating system on the device, further complicated the situation.

The decision weighs the relatively small number of Linux users against the larger impact of unchecked cheating on the game's overall health. EA asserts this measure is crucial for preserving fairness and a positive experience for the broader Apex Legends community across other supported platforms.

While undoubtedly disappointing for some, EA maintains this is a necessary step to combat cheating and ensure a level playing field for the majority of Apex Legends players. Players on other platforms will not be affected.