Key recommendations
- Respawn has dropped Linux support for Apex Legends to improve its anti-cheat efforts, despite disappointing some players.
- Apex Legends has faced ongoing problems with cheats, which led to the decision to remove Linux support.
- While disappointing, Linux gamers can still use a workaround on Steam Deck to play Apex Legends.
Respawn Entertainment has revealed that the Linux operating system is no longer supported Apex Legendsincluding on Steam Deck. While the developer says this change will make it easier to stop cheaters, the decision will disappoint those who enjoyed playing Apex Legends on the operating system.
It's no secret that Apex Legends he has a problem with cheaters. Since the game launched in early 2019, Respawn has had to fight an uphill battle against cheaters and hackers trying to ruin the fun and competitive integrity of battle royale. After numerous complaints from the community, the developer has placed additional emphasis on addressing the issue of cheating Apex Legends and claimed that further efforts would be made in the coming months to combat the problem. Recently, players learned about a new change related to anti-cheat.

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In a new developer update, Respawn has 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 their decision-making, and the removal of Linux OS support will help with this initiative. While Linux provided another option to run the game, “opening up” the operating system was a substantial vulnerability, providing a potential avenue for “a variety of impactful exploits and tricks.”
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 game's total population. Despite the numbers of players for Apex Legends declining 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 developer update noted that this segment of players has still managed to find their way into a considerable 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. Even though this change is undoubtedly disappointing Apex Legends gamers who used to play on Linux, the decision not to support a competitive shooter on the OS is not unusual. Other popular competitive 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 can still access the game on Valve's portable system by installing Windows.
while Apex Legends keep fighting cheaters, season 23 of battle royale game is just around the corner. While not many details are known about the upcoming season, the developer has already started teasing it. Hopefully the new seasonal update will include more anti-cheat measures to do Apex Legends more enjoyable for those who continue to play.