Epic Games has confirmed its Linux launcher will support SteamOS, but Fortnite compatibility remains unconfirmed due to unresolved Easy Anti-Cheat issues.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Epic Games has confirmed that its new Epic Games Launcher will officially support SteamOS and Steam Deck devices. The Linux launcher is currently in Preview, and Communications Director Jake Jones disclosed the plan in an interview with GamingOnLinux.
Jones said the company plans to support as many Linux distributions as possible, including Fedora, SteamOS, Cachy, Omarchy, and more. The launcher previously switched from AppImage to .deb packages for Debian and Ubuntu, but Epic is testing and evaluating packaging formats and plans to restore AppImage downloads this month.
The new Epic Games Launcher entered public Preview on October 14 for Windows, macOS and Linux. According to VideoCardz, Epic rebuilt the application with a focus on startup performance, navigation and lower resource usage. Epic’s own testing showed a startup time of 5.47 seconds compared with 10.07 seconds for Steam, although the comparison used different launcher versions and testing conditions.
Launcher support does not mean Fortnite will run on SteamOS. In October, Epic said it was “investigating” making Fortnite compatible with Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS. When it announced its work to bring Fortnite to Linux, the company said that the Steam Deck “does not support the required features for our EAC v2 solution, but we are actively talking with Valve and hope to support it in the future.”
Easy Anti-Cheat Linux v2 support remains an open question. Epic is developing the anti-cheat system to bring Fortnite and other protected games to Linux, and is working with Valve and Linux distribution maintainers. Supporting SteamOS as a launcher platform does not automatically make Fortnite playable on Steam Deck.
The confirmation covers the launcher only. Windows games will still require a compatibility layer such as Wine or Proton, and Epic has not explained how it plans to handle that. Until now, Steam Deck and Steam Machine owners have had to rely on third-party solutions such as the Heroic Games Launcher to access their Epic libraries. The official launcher could allow users to access their Epic Games libraries without relying on third-party clients, though it remains unclear whether it will offer a handheld-friendly interface.
The announcement gives Steam Deck and Steam Machine owners an officially supported route to their Epic Games libraries, ending reliance on third-party tools. However, the separate question of game compatibility—particularly Fortnite and Easy Anti-Cheat—remains unresolved, so players should not expect protected titles to run on SteamOS hardware based on launcher support alone.
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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