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. 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 Linux's open-source nature as a significant vulnerability, stating it provides "a path for a variety of impactful exploits and cheats." The company highlights the difficulty in detecting these cheats, which are reportedly increasing at an unsustainable rate. Furthermore, the flexibility of Linux allows cheaters to effectively mask their activities, hindering EA's anti-cheat efforts.
EA_Mako emphasized the challenging decision-making process, acknowledging the impact on legitimate Linux and Steam Deck users. However, the blog post underscores that maintaining the integrity of the game for the majority of players across other platforms outweighed the loss of this user segment. The inability to reliably distinguish between legitimate Steam Deck users and cheaters further complicated the situation.
The technical difficulties in combating cheats on the open-source operating system, coupled with the disproportionate resources required to address the issue, ultimately led to EA's decision. While this move will undoubtedly disappoint some players, EA maintains it's essential for preserving fair gameplay across its primary platforms.
The blog post assures players on other supported platforms that they will not be affected by this change. This decisive action underscores the ongoing struggle game developers face in maintaining a fair and cheat-free environment.
