Apex Legends Removes Steam Deck Support Due to Cheating Surge
Electronic Arts (EA) has announced the termination of Apex Legends support for all Linux-based systems, including the popular Steam Deck handheld console. This decision, detailed in a recent blog post by EA Community Manager EA_Mako, cites the escalating prevalence of cheats and exploits originating from the Linux platform.
EA characterizes the open-source nature of Linux as a significant vulnerability, stating it provides "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats." The blog post highlights the difficulty in detecting these cheats, which are reportedly increasing at an unsustainable rate, demanding disproportionate resources from the development team.
The issue extends beyond simple cheat detection. The flexibility of Linux allows malicious actors to effectively mask their cheating activities, making enforcement exceptionally challenging.
EA_Mako emphasized the difficult choice involved, acknowledging the impact on legitimate Linux and Steam Deck users. However, the company prioritized the overall health of the Apex Legends community, concluding that the negative consequences of unchecked cheating outweighed the loss of a relatively small player segment.
A further complication is the inability to reliably distinguish between legitimate Steam Deck users and those employing cheats disguised as legitimate Steam Deck installations. This technical limitation, stemming from the default Linux OS on the Steam Deck, contributed to the decision.
While this move will undoubtedly disappoint some players, EA maintains it's a necessary step to ensure fair play and maintain the integrity of the game for the vast majority of its players on other supported platforms. These platforms remain unaffected by the change.
