Linux gamers who play Apex Legends will no longer be able to access the game. EA apparently made the decision due to cheaters exploiting the platform's customizable nature to circumvent anti-cheat measures.

EA has pulled the plug on Apex Legends' Linux version, meaning people who own a Steam Deck will not be able to play it unless they install Windows on it, a fate shared by the growing community of Linux gamers. The company says it is a part of clamping down on cheaters, who apparently prefer Linux distros over Windows. It said the following on an X post:

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. There are also cases in which cheats for the Windows OS get emulated as if it’s on Linux in order to increase the difficulty of detection and prevention.

Apex Legends uses Easy Anti Cheat (EAC), a Kernel-level service that detects unauthorized changes to the game's files. While bypassing it may be easier on Linux, walling off an entire platform comes off as a tad excessive and borderline incompetent. EA says only a small number of players will be restricted, but they've effectively lost access to a game and any in-game skins they paid for. Ideally, EA should offer refunds to affected players but there's no word about that yet.

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