Fortnite is coming to Linux with Easy Anti-Cheat v2
Fortnite is coming to Linux, and Linux anti-cheat is becoming much stricter
Epic Games has announced that Fortnite is coming to Linux. One of the world’s biggest games is getting an official Linux release, driven by Epic Games’ heightened security efforts with Easy Anti-Cheat Linux v2 (EAV Linux V2). With new anti-cheating tools, Epic Games is confident it can bring Fortnite to Linux without letting cheaters infect the game.
Today’s Easy Anti-Cheat solutions haven’t proven effective on Linux. Last month, Ubisoft dropped Linux support in For Honor due to cheating concerns. Ubisoft said that it “cannot meaningfully deploy protections” on Linux. However, Ubisoft did say that there was a “possibility of reopening the platform in the future” if something changes. Easy Anti-Cheat Linux V2 could be that solution.
Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) has supported native Linux game clients since 2014. In 2021, we added support for running Windows game builds on Linux via Wine/Proton. However, that support is opt-in for each game and many haven’t opted in because our Linux implementation couldn’t offer the same level of protection as our Windows implementation. This is why Fortnite isn’t available on Linux yet, but it’s coming.
Cheating in online games was once a small cottage industry, but it has become a billion-dollar market where cheat operators sell subscriptions for cheating tools that are updated frequently and require minimal technical skill to use. Without effective anti-cheat measures, these operators can drive enough players away from a game that it’s no longer financially viable for the game developer to run.
– Epic Games
Closing the security gap between Linux and Windows
Windows has much tighter security mechanisms than Linux. For the most part, Linux users can do whatever they want, but with Easy Anti-Cheat Linux V2, there will be strict requirements. This includes the use of Signed Linux Kernels and Kernel Modules, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, Measured Boot, Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU), Kernel Lockdown Integrity Mode and more.
These features will make Epic Games’ Easy Anti-Cheat Linux V2 security solution much more effective than previous Linux game security mechanisms. Epic Games is working with Linux distribution maintainers to meet these requirements. Note that TPM 2.0 support mandates the use of TPM 2.0 hardware, limiting support to PCs with newer CPUs.
To close the gap for Linux, we are rebuilding our Linux anti-cheat implementation into EAC Linux v2. We will bring the level of protection much closer to par with Windows, in the very near-term, using existing Linux features including signed kernel, signed kernel modules, and secure boot with attestation. These requirements build on work that distribution maintainers already do, and the more distributions that meet these requirements by default, the fewer players will need to change their setup to play.
We are starting to reach out to leaders in the Linux community, and will continue to engage with more leaders in the coming weeks as we work towards bringing more awesome games to Linux. Later this year, we will co-host a panel discussion with Jef Spaleta (Fedora Project Leader) where we’ll talk through the path to enabling fair competitive gaming on Linux for players.
We are also planning to pilot EAC Linux v2 in Fortnite first, where we’ll test it in a live environment and refine it based on what we learn. Once we’ve validated EAC v2’s effectiveness, we’ll make it available to more game developers so they can bring their multiplayer games to Linux players too.
– Epic Games
What about Valve’s Steam Deck and SteamOS?
Right now, Valve’s SteamOS does not meet the requirements for Epic Games’ Easy Anti-Cheat Linux v2 technology. However, Epic Games is talking with Valve and hopes to enable official support in the future.
Epic Games’ Easy Anti-Cheat Linux v2 technology will debut with Fortnite. Once its effectiveness is validated, Epic Games will make EAC Linux V2 available to more developers.
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