Epic rebuilds Easy Anti-Cheat to finally bring Fortnite to Linux

Epic Games has confirmed it is working on a version of Fortnite for Linux, something a large part of the community has been asking for over the years without much hope. The key isn't the game itself but what sits underneath it: the company is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), its anti-cheat system for multiplayer games made with Unreal Engine, and Fortnite will be the testing ground for that overhaul. The original report comes from GameSpot, which covered the announcement Epic published on its blog.

Why does it matter so much? Because the big wall keeping Linux out of competitive gaming has never been performance or the game library, but anti-cheat. With devices like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine pushing the operating system into living rooms and onto desktops, and with complaints about Windows piling up, one of the biggest games on the planet considering a native release is a signal the rest of the industry will be watching very closely.

What you need to know

• Epic is working on a native version of Fortnite for Linux.
• That launch will serve as a test for the rebuilt Easy Anti-Cheat, recently used in Gears of War: E-Day.
• EAC already supported Linux, but almost nobody used it, not even Epic itself, because it offered weaker protection than on Windows.
• The new version will be native and won't rely on translation layers like Proton.
• Epic will only release Fortnite on Linux once the anti-cheat matches its Windows version.

The underlying problem: a half-finished anti-cheat

According to GameSpot, the current situation is quite telling. Epic already allowed EAC to be enabled on Linux, but most studios, starting with Epic itself, simply chose not to support the platform. The reason is simple: that version couldn't provide the same level of protection as on Windows, and no developer wants to open a back door for cheaters in a game with ranked play, tournaments and money on the line.

Anyone who plays on a Steam Deck or a Linux PC knows the result all too well: games that technically run but block multiplayer, or won't even launch. Proton has worked wonders at running Windows games, but in the eyes of studios, an anti-cheat that depends on a translation layer has always been a weak spot.

What changes with the new EAC

Epic's plan is to rebuild EAC natively for Linux, without going through Proton or similar tools. The goal is to reach parity with Windows and only then release Fortnite. Epic says on its blog that once it gets there, it will make this solution available beyond its own game, although the available excerpt of the story doesn't detail how or when.

Who it affects is pretty clear: Steam Deck and Steam Machine players, people who use Linux out of conviction or out of frustration with Windows and, above all, studios working with Unreal Engine. If EAC works well on Linux, one of the most common excuses for not supporting the platform no longer holds up.

Our take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we see this as one of the most important stories of the year for competitive PC gaming, though with some caveats. Using Fortnite as a guinea pig is a bold call from Epic: if anything goes wrong, it will show in the most visible game in the world, with millions of matches and a pro scene that doesn't forgive mistakes. It also means that, if it works, nobody will be able to claim that anti-cheat on Linux is only for small games.

That said, it's best not to count our chickens before they hatch. Epic hasn't given a date, and the condition it has set is demanding: matching Windows-level protection. For competitive players, that condition is exactly what matters, because we'd rather wait than get a Linux Fortnite full of cheaters. But there's also a less flattering reading: for years, Epic had the tool and chose not to use it. We welcome the change of course, but it comes late and is driven by a market that was already moving on its own thanks to Valve.

For content creators, the news opens another interesting door: being able to record and stream from Linux machines without keeping a Windows partition around just for one game. If the new EAC ends up reaching other titles, the Linux streaming and competitive ecosystem could take a huge leap in a short time.

What do you think?

Would you switch to Linux for competitive play if Fortnite and other anti-cheat games ran natively, or is Windows still your safe ground? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know: do you trust Epic to deliver an anti-cheat just as solid outside Windows?