Apex Legends Drops Steam Deck Support Amidst Cheating Surge
Steam Deck Players to Permanently Lose Access to Apex LegendsEA Calls Linux "A Path for a Variety of Impactful Exploits and Cheats"
EA’s concern, it seems, extends beyond just Linux users exploiting the system, as the platform’s flexibility allows malicious actors to mask cheats, complicating enforcement measures.
A Difficult, But Necessary Decision for the Broader Apex Legends Community
EA_Mako acknowledged that blocking an entire segment of players was not a decision taken lightly. "We had to weigh the decision on the number of players who were legitimately playing on Linux/the Steam Deck versus the greater health of the population of players for Apex," they explained, suggesting that the well-being of the broader player community outweighed the costs to Linux users.
Additionally, EA emphasized the challenge of distinguishing legitimate Steam Deck users from cheat developers. "Linux is used by default on the Steam Deck. There is currently no reliable way for us to differentiate a legitimate Steam Deck from a malicious cheat claiming to be a Steam Deck (via Linux)," Mako elaborated, underscoring the technical difficulties EA faces with open-source operating systems.
While many Apex Legends players and Linux advocates may find the decision disappointing, EA maintains it’s a necessary measure to preserve the integrity and fairness of the game for its broader player base across Steam and its other supported platforms, who, as confirmed in the blog post, will remain unaffected by this change.