Epic Games has released a preview of its new launcher with native Linux support and announced plans to bring Fortnite to Linux by rebuilding its anti-cheat system.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Epic Games has announced that it is working to bring Fortnite to Linux through its newly released Epic Games Launcher. The launcher, which is now available in preview on Windows, macOS and Linux, marks the first time the platform has been officially supported on the open-source operating system. While Fortnite is not yet playable on Linux, Epic stated it is rebuilding its anti-cheat software to make this possible.
A primary barrier to Fortnite’s availability on Linux has been concerns regarding cheating. In February 2022, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney stated, "We don’t have confidence that we’d be able to combat cheating at scale under a wide array of kernel configurations." To address this, Epic is developing "EAC Linux v2," a rebuilt version of its Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) service.
According to a blog post from Epic, "To bring Fortnite to Linux, we are rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) and working with distro maintainers on security requirements. Once it’s working with a critical mass of distro maintainers, we’ll bring Fortnite to Linux via the Epic Games Launcher."
The new anti-cheat system aims to achieve protection levels closer to those on Windows without relying on controversial kernel-level drivers. Instead, EAC Linux v2 will utilize existing Linux security features, including signed kernels, signed kernel modules, and UEFI Secure Boot with attestation. Phoronix reports that the system will also employ an anti-cheat systemd service and eBPF kernel programs. Epic plans to pilot EAC Linux v2 in Fortnite first before making the improvements available to other developers.
The new Epic Games Launcher preview is described by Epic as "vibe coded," a term referring to AI-assisted programming. In a statement shared with Aftermath, Epic wrote, "Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that’s way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look."
The launcher supports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer, Fedora 43 or newer, and Debian 12 or newer. Epic has established collaboration with maintainers of leading distributions, including Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, openSUSE, and Universal Blue. The company also plans to co-host a panel discussion with Jef Spaleta, the Fedora Project Leader, to discuss enabling fair competitive gaming on Linux.
Regarding Valve’s hardware, Epic engineering director Rick Deist told The Verge that the company is "investigating" compatibility with SteamOS. However, Epic confirmed that the Steam Deck does not currently support the required features for EAC Linux v2. Epic Games Store VP and GM Martin Keely stated that the company does not plan to bring Fortnite to the Steam store.
The announcement represents a significant shift for Epic Games, which has historically been hesitant to support Linux due to anti-cheat challenges. By rebuilding EAC to work within Linux security frameworks rather than bypassing them, Epic may remove a major technological barrier for other competitive online games. If successful, this could expand the library of multiplayer titles available to Linux users, who have long relied on compatibility layers like Proton for many games but faced restrictions with anti-cheat enabled titles.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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