Apex Legends is taking a big step that’s positive to be unpopular with a very good variety of gamers. EA and Respawn Leisure have introduced that the sport is dropping help for the Steam Deck. As a part of their efforts to fight dishonest within the free-to-play battle royale shooter, the businesses have recognized Linux as a straightforward pathway for cheats and exploits. That, after all, is the working system that the Steam Deck runs on, which implies help for the moveable gadget is being dropped as nicely.
“In our efforts to fight dishonest in Apex, we’ve recognized Linux OS as being a path for a wide range of impactful exploits and cheats,” EA writes. “Because of this, we’ve determined to dam Linux OS entry to the sport. Whereas this may affect a small variety of Apex gamers, we consider the choice will meaningfully scale back cases of dishonest in our recreation.
“Linux is utilized by default on the Steam Deck. There may be at present no dependable approach for us to distinguish a official Steam Deck from a malicious cheat claiming to be a Steam Deck (by way of Linux).”
EA explains that with Linux cheats being tougher to detect, although the choice to drop help for the OS – and by extension, the Steam Deck – was not a straightforward one, it was one which was obligatory for the sport’s well being.
“The openness of the Linux working programs makes it a horny one for cheaters and cheat builders,” EA explains. “Linux cheats are certainly tougher to detect and the info exhibits that they’re rising at a charge that requires an outsized degree of focus and a spotlight from the staff for a comparatively small platform. There are additionally circumstances by which cheats for the Home windows OS get emulated as if it’s on Linux with a purpose to enhance the problem of detection and prevention.
“We needed to weigh the choice on the variety of gamers who have been legitimately taking part in on Linux/the Steam Deck versus the higher well being of the inhabitants of gamers for Apex. Whereas the inhabitants of Linux customers is small, their affect contaminated a good quantity of gamers’ video games. This finally introduced us to our resolution at present.”
After all, as EA reminds as nicely, in case you’ve bought Home windows put in in your Steam Deck, you may nonetheless use the gadget to play Apex Legends– although Linux customers are sadly out of luck.
“To remove this cheat vector, we’ve made the choice to forestall entry to the sport for Linux customers,” the corporate says. “Because of this Apex Legends shall be unplayable instantly for these operating this working system. Taking part in on handhelds, such because the Steam Deck, continues to be doable if the person opts to put in Home windows.”
Apex Legends is out there on PS5, Xbox Sequence X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Change, and PC.
