fortnite-won’t-get-steam-deck-support,-epic-ceo-blames-cheaters
Fortnite gained’t get Steam Deck help, Epic CEO blames cheaters

Epic Games might need dedicated to creating their Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) system extra suitable with the Steam Deck, however don’t count on to see their largest recreation on the Valve handheld. Battle royale cash machine Fortnite is not going to be up to date to work on the Steam Deck – and in response to Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, that’s all the way down to an absence of “confidence that we’d be able to combat cheating” on Linux platforms.

Sweeney was responding to Twitter person Stormy178, who requested if there are any plans to make Fortnite play properly with the Proton compatibility layer (a software program interface that, within the Deck’s case, permits for Windows video games to run on the Linux-based SteamOS). “Fortnite no, but there’s a big effort underway to maximize Easy Anti-Cheat compatibility with Steam Deck”, he replied. And it’s onerous to get extra closing than “Fortnite no”.

Fortnite no, however there is a huge effort underway to maximise Easy Anti Cheat compatibility with Steam Deck.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) February 7, 2022

Sweeney later elaborated why, writing that “We don’t have confidence that we’d be able to combat cheating at scale under a wide array of kernel configurations, including custom ones.”

As it’s basically only a shrunken PC, the Steam Deck will be capable to run Windows and all method of Linux distros, not simply SteamOS. And since Linux helps customized kernel configs, the priority appears to be that Fortnite may very well be overrun by Steam Deck-wielding cheaters who’ve taken benefit of a extra tweakable OS to get round anti-cheat measures.

It’s a bit odd that Epic are glad to encourage EAC uptake on the Steam Deck, however evidently aren’t satisfied of its effectiveness at defending one among their very own video games. But then, Fortnite is perhaps a particular case on account of its obscene recognition: it’d simply appeal to too many hackers to be definitely worth the effort, whereas different EAC video games are extra manageable. “Scale” is the important thing phrase right here, and one which was additional alluded to as soon as Sweeney began breaking out the all caps:

With regard to anti-cheat on the Linux platform supporting customized kernels and the menace mannequin to a recreation of Fortnite’s measurement, YES THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT!

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) February 7, 2022

I’m wondering if the Steam Deck changing into some type of breakout mega-success would make it kind of seemingly for Epic to rethink? An even greater participant base can be the draw, however extra gamers means extra cheaters, which is outwardly the difficulty to start with. Anyway, sufficient conjecture – proper now, the prospects of Fortnite on the Steam Deck are deader than these ten poor sods in Tomato Town.

Meanwhile, Valve are getting ready the Steam Deck for its February twenty fifth launch by working by means of their very own compatibility overview programme, which is able to give customers at-a-glance data on whether or not a recreation of their Steam library will run correctly on the hand held. Some small however useful UI modifications additionally just lately appeared within the desktop Steam consumer beta, and will make their approach to the Steam Deck as effectively.