Apex Legends makes a controversial change to solve cheating issues

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Key takeaways

  • Respawn dropped Linux support for Apex Legends to improve its anti-cheat efforts, despite disappointing some players.
  • Apex Legends has faced ongoing issues with cheaters, leading to the decision to remove Linux support.
  • Although disappointing, Linux players can still use a workaround on Steam Deck to play Apex Legends.



Respawn Entertainment has revealed that Linux OS is no longer supported for Apex Legendsincluding on Steam Deck. While the developer says this change will make it easier to stop cheaters, the decision will leave those who enjoyed playing disappointed Apex Legends on the operating system.

It's no secret that Apex Legends have problems with cheaters. Ever since the game's release in early 2019, Respawn has had to fight an uphill battle against cheaters and hackers trying to destroy the fun and competitive integrity of Battle Royale. After many complaints from the community, the developer has put extra emphasis on addressing the cheating issue in the Apex Legends and claimed that new efforts would be launched in the coming months to combat the problem. Recently, players learned about a new anti-cheat related change.

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In a new developer update, Respawn announced that Linux users on PC and Steam Deck can no longer play Apex Legends. According to the developer, the game's competitive integrity is a “top priority” in decision-making, and removing support for the Linux operating system will help with this initiative. While Linux provided another option for running the game, the “openness” of the operating system was a significant vulnerability, providing a potential avenue for “a variety of effective exploits and cheats.”


Linux users were only a small part of the Apex Legends player base


When making this decision, Respawn noted that it weighed the number of players using the Linux operating system against the total population for the game. Despite player number for Apex Legends decreased on platforms like Steam in recent months, the size of the game's player base on Linux devices was still very small in comparison. However, the development update noted that this segment of players still managed to find their way into a large number of games, making the risk of cheating significant.

Ultimately, this low number of players and the high risk of cheating caused Respawn to drop Linux support. Although this change is undoubtedly disappointing for Apex Legends gamers who used to play on Linux, the decision not to support a competitive shooter on the operating system is not unusual. Other popular racing games, including Fortnite and Valorantdoes not support Linux. In addition, there is a solution for Apex Legends players on Steam Deck. Respawn pointed out that players could still access the game on Valve's handheld systems by installing Windows.


While Apex Legends keep fighting cheaters, season 23 of Battle Royale game is just around the corner. Although not many details about the upcoming season are known, the developer has already started teasing it. Hopefully the new season update will include more anti-cheat measures to take Apex Legends more fun for those who keep playing.

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