EA and Respawn Halt Apex Legends on Linux to Combat Cheating

EA and Respawn Entertainment Discontinue Apex Legends Support on Linux OS

Responding to rampant cheating incidents, game creators EA and Respawn Entertainment have opted to remove game accessibility options for Apex Legends. Players operating the game via Linux OS, inclusive of the new Steam Deck device, will no longer be able to access the popular Battle Royale game.

A Move to Safeguard Competitive Integrity

Publicized on their website, the decision to withdraw from Linux support seems to have caught many by surprise. However, EA maintains that this move is integral to their broader aim of preserving the game's "competitive integrity" and thwarting cheaters.

In the fight against Apex gaming exploits and cheats, Linux OS has been identified as a conduit for such unsavory activities. Therefore, EA and Respawn have elected to block access to the game via Linux OS. Although this may disadvantage a few faithful Apex Legends players, the game creators are convinced that this resolution will considerably curtail cheat instances in the game.

Robust Measures to Curb Cheating

For a myriad of reasons, Linux is deemed an "attractive" OS for potential cheaters by EA. In making this decision, consideration was given to the impact felt by regular Apex Legends players due to the burgeoning cheat incidents versus the relatively low number of regular players utilizing Linux OS. This deemed 'willing trade-off' by EA and Respawn results in Apex Legends now becoming unplayable for players using Linux.

A Crackdown on Cheating; Linux Access Denied

A consequence of this decision impacts support for Steam Deck, a device that inherently runs on Linux OS. The gaming giants cite the inability to reliably differentiate a legitimate Steam Deck user from a potential cheat masking as one (via Linux) as the premise of this decision. Players who can circumvent Linux OS on their Steam Deck and install Windows instead will still be able to partake in the game. As EA and Respawn continue their zealous efforts to tackle the cheating problem in the long-established Battle Royale game, users running Linux OS will have to forego the gaming experience altogether.

According to EA, in order to eradicate this aforementioned 'cheat vector', the decision to deny game access to Linux users was inevitable, thus making Apex Legends immediately unplayable for this demographic.