Epic Games has announced plans to bring Fortnite to Linux by rebuilding its Easy Anti-Cheat software from the ground up. The company has long withheld the battle royale from Linux users due to concerns about protecting the game against cheaters across different kernel configurations. A new version called EAC Linux v2 will address these security gaps and enable a Linux release in the near term.
Easy Anti-Cheat has supported native Linux game clients since 2014, and in 2021 Epic added the ability to run Windows game builds on Linux through Wine and Proton compatibility layers. However, that support remained optional for individual games, and many developers declined to use it because the Linux version of EAC could not match the protection level available on Windows. Fortnite fell into this category, making it unavailable to Linux players despite years of requests.
The scale of modern cheating
Epic emphasized that online game cheating has evolved into a substantial commercial operation. What was once a small-scale activity has grown into a billion-dollar industry where operators sell subscription-based cheating tools that receive frequent updates and require minimal technical knowledge to deploy. Without robust anti-cheat systems, these operations can drive away enough players to make a game financially unviable for its developer.
The company outlined its approach to closing security gaps on Linux. Rather than relying on a kernel driver like the Windows version of EAC does, EAC Linux v2 will leverage existing Linux platform security features including measured boot, the kernel lockdown LSM module, IOMMU support, and Epic's own eBPF logic to maintain game integrity and detect cheating activity. Signed kernel modules and secure boot with attestation will provide additional layers of protection.
How the new system works
Epic explained that on Windows, EAC depends heavily on a kernel driver that activates when a game launches and deactivates when the player exits. The Linux v2 approach takes a different path by utilizing security features already built into the operating system rather than adding a separate driver component. These security features are not uniformly available across all Linux distributions and may require configuration changes to enable on some systems.
The implementation will include specific system requirements that users must meet to run protected games. If a player attempts to launch a protected title without meeting these requirements, they will receive an error message. Epic clarified that this will not result in account bans or other punitive measures against the player.
Epic will initially test EAC Linux v2 within Fortnite itself before opening the technology to other multiplayer games. Developers who already use Easy Anti-Cheat will have the option to continue with the older, more compatible version of the software if they prefer not to upgrade to the new Linux-focused implementation.
Steam Deck remains unsupported
One notable limitation accompanies the announcement: Steam Deck will not receive support for EAC Linux v2 in the foreseeable future. The handheld device lacks the required features necessary for the new anti-cheat solution to function. Epic stated it is actively collaborating with Valve to explore future compatibility but made no commitments regarding a timeline.
The EAC Linux v2 announcement coincides with the preview release of a new, streamlined version of the Epic Games Launcher that now runs natively on Linux. The launcher represents a lighter-weight alternative to previous versions and signals Epic's broader commitment to expanding its presence on Linux systems beyond Fortnite itself.
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