Epic Games has announced that Fortnite, its biggest game, is officially coming to Linux. The news is welcome for millions of Linux gamers who have long dealt with translation layers and compatibility issues on their own. The game is not yet available, as the company is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) before it can distribute Fortnite through its new Epic Games Launcher.
Anti-cheat compatibility has been a major barrier. EAC has supported Linux for years, but developers needed to enable that support, and Epic says its existing implementation cannot offer protection comparable to Windows. Fortnite players have relied on the Proton translation layer with limited success. The new version, EAC Linux v2, aims to close the security gap by using built-in Linux security features instead of a dedicated anti-cheat kernel driver.
Requirements include a signed kernel and modules, Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, measured boot, kernel lockdown integrity mode, disabled kexec, and an active BPF Linux Security Module. IOMMU support will also be necessary for non-handheld systems. Epic says eBPF checks will help protect game memory and detect cheats, while a systemd service will run only when a protected game is active. The company is working with Linux distribution maintainers, and the initial list of recognized signing keys includes Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, openSUSE, and Universal Blue, which maintains Bazzite. Users running custom kernels or unsigned third-party modules may need to adjust their setups.
Fortnite will be the first game to test EAC Linux v2 in a live environment, and Epic plans to offer the updated anti-cheat to other developers after validation. Steam Deck owners will need to wait, as the handheld currently lacks the required features, though discussions with Valve are ongoing. Epic has not announced a release date and does not plan to bring the game to Steam.
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing