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Today, Easy Anti-Cheat from Epic Games / Epic Online Services has officially announced a full expansion for Linux including native builds and Wine + Proton. This is big for Linux Gaming and the Steam Deck.

For those who don't know, Epic Games owns Easy Anti-Cheat and earlier this year they made it free for all developers making Windows games. Today this has been expanded to fully support developers doing native Linux games (and macOS too).

Not only that, this is the big one we've been waiting for — they've also expanded Easy Anti-Cheat support officially for the Wine and Steam Play Proton compatibility layers.

Earlier this year, Easy Anti-Cheat for Windows games was made available to all developers, for free. Today, we extend support to Linux and Mac for developers who maintain full native builds of their games for these platforms.

To make it easy for developers to ship their games across PC platforms, support for the Wine and Proton compatibility layers on Linux is included. Starting with the latest SDK release, developers can activate anti-cheat support for Linux via Wine or Proton with just a few clicks in the Epic Online Services Developer Portal.

Sadly it's not an automatic thing for Wine and Proton, as developers do need to actively go and do those "few clicks" but it's a huge step. In the documentation, it says how developers need to "test and activate client module updates for Linux regularly in addition to Windows". Hopefully many developers will go and do it, since it sounds like very little effort on their part. Considering just how many of the most popular games use Easy Anti-Cheat, this is the start of something massive.

Have a favourite Windows game that doesn't work on Linux currently with Proton or Wine? Looks like it's time to politely ask them to hook it up. Just a few of those that would hopefully work if developers update include:

  • Apex Legends
  • Dead by Daylight
  • Fall Guys
  • Halo: The Master Chief Collection
  • Rust

A good time to remind game developers and readers to ensure you email us news tips, especially if a game enables this to start working so we don't miss it.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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113 comments
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BlooAlien Sep 24, 2021
Yeah, it'll take a while. Good thing this announcement comes with still a couple months before Steam Deck launch. Should give them a bit of time to get ducks in row.

There's also sure to be a fair few "hacks" by creative reverse engineers patching support in for their personal favorites where not otherwise supported, too. All just a matter of time…
Pangachat Sep 24, 2021
So back to Paladins now i guess? ;)
RossBC Sep 24, 2021
Fortnight installs EAC, loads semi normally. MediaFoundation problems doesn't like the MFpatch, you can start a game, some times get past lobby area always most definitely crashes when you jump out of the party bus.

Maybe they just checked the box and didn't see if it worked properly. (only seemed to work with staging builds of anything)

Its loads in some type of driver as well, if it can't load it's driver d at startup, had to logout of my linux user and log back in again, was doing a hard reset though to be sure. with non-staging the driver would never load.

Gonna wait this one out till next year, have a feeling there is going to be teething problems.


Last edited by RossBC on 24 September 2021 at 6:06 am UTC
Termy Sep 24, 2021
While this is really great news, the most relevant part of this in my opinion is: how is this done? I hope we don't need to install some kind of EAC kernel driver or shit like hat?
TheGamerX2p Sep 24, 2021
YES! FINALLY!
I really hope Apex Legends adds this!
Once they do, adios Windows. =D
Fuzz Sep 24, 2021
I look forward to see how SteamOS 3.0 will be usable on standard desktops... What if a Steam Deck fan decides to try SteamOS on his/her gaming PC and if there is something that makes it easy to install Nvidia drivers?

SteamOS 3 is Arch, Nvidia drivers are as simple as  sudo pacman -Syu nvidia and it just works
Vulphere Sep 24, 2021
Sorry about the off-topic post, but ... does anyone else see 'EAC' and immediately think of 'Exact Audio Copy'?

In eons past, I ripped countless CDs with it.

You're not alone, ahaha.

Sometimes, I need to rewire my brain when reading Easy Anti Cheat-related news.
const Sep 24, 2021
I bet a lot of marketing departments are currently brainstorming the perfect moment to hit that switch and make an announcement. Maybe shortly before SteamDeck release, maybe shortly after...
Eike Sep 24, 2021
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The heading got it all wrong!

... including native builds!

We knew EAC on Proton would be a thing this year, but native comes as a very pleasant surprise - at least for me!
Guppy Sep 24, 2021
So, Fortnite?

This is the only real complaint my kids have with running Linux, so that would be lovely indeed.

Well that or Fortnite not being 'trendy' anymore ;)
Arten Sep 24, 2021
So, it's opt-in for developers. It's new, there are possible bugs in it and developers can fear army of linux cheaters if there are some corner cases. I hope they remove opt-in, or change it into opt-out in future, but right now it is understandable solution.
Frawo Sep 24, 2021
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Fortnight installs EAC, loads semi normally. MediaFoundation problems doesn't like the MFpatch, you can start a game, some times get past lobby area always most definitely crashes when you jump out of the party bus.

Maybe they just checked the box and didn't see if it worked properly. (only seemed to work with staging builds of anything)

Its loads in some type of driver as well, if it can't load it's driver d at startup, had to logout of my linux user and log back in again, was doing a hard reset though to be sure. with non-staging the driver would never load.

Gonna wait this one out till next year, have a feeling there is going to be teething problems.
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Thank you for testing this!
Liam Dawe Sep 24, 2021
The heading got it all wrong!

... including native builds!

We knew EAC on Proton would be a thing this year, but native comes as a very pleasant surprise - at least for me!
Well, no. Native support was already there with developers already using it but now it's been bumped up in a more official and advertised way. The more exciting news for 99% of readers is Wine and Proton which is why we went for that as the headline, it's simple really. We may not work on clicks and such since no adverts but we still need to make sure headlines cover the most important bits for drawing people in.
Eike Sep 24, 2021
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The heading got it all wrong!

... including native builds!

We knew EAC on Proton would be a thing this year, but native comes as a very pleasant surprise - at least for me!
Well, no. Native support was already there with developers already using it but now it's been bumped up in a more official and advertised way. The more exciting news for 99% of readers is Wine and Proton which is why we went for that as the headline, it's simple really. We may not work on clicks and such since no adverts but we still need to make sure headlines cover the most important bits for drawing people in.

Relax, Liam. It was said jokingly to express what I find more interesting. In general, you do too much defending.
Liam Dawe Sep 24, 2021
Relax, Liam. It was said jokingly to express what I find more interesting. In general, you do too much defending.
Well, it didn't read jokingly and when you deal with hundreds of comments a week across here, social networks, reddit, discord, telegram and so on...

Besides, I am perfectly relaxed but I do very much like to explain how things work. Most people just don't understand the trials of SEO to get them to actually pick us up :)
Eike Sep 24, 2021
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Besides, I am perfectly relaxed but I do very much like to explain how things work. Most people just don't understand the trials of SEO to get them to actually pick us up :)

I'd send a "correction" message if I'd really think there's something wrong (like I did lately for the 32/64 bits OpenGL/Vulkan thing). :)
nenoro Sep 24, 2021
Before this news
EG: there's no player on linux

After this news
EG: let's support linux

What element has changed their mind ?
Eike Sep 24, 2021
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Before this news
EG: there's no player on linux

After this news
EG: let's support linux

What element has changed their mind ?

They finally heard of Steam Machines...! ;)
Guppy Sep 24, 2021
Before this news
EG: there's no player on linux

After this news
EG: let's support linux

What element has changed their mind ?

I imagine Gabe descended from his Throne and handed over a big bag of cash to them saying "make your stuff work on this shiny new handheld I'm making"


Last edited by Guppy on 24 September 2021 at 8:36 am UTC
slaapliedje Sep 24, 2021
To my understanding, you need to use the none eac executable and only get access to campaign and you need to use a external means to play on none official open servers.
Oh, I only ever play games like that single player. I don't like people enough to do it online.
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