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Apex Legends uses Epic Anti-Cheat ("EAC"). Valve collaborated with Epic to get EAC functional in Wine back in September[1]. This Wine support is an opt-in flag

Apex Legends uses Epic Anti-Cheat ("EAC"). Valve collaborated with Epic to get EAC functional in Wine back in September[1]. This Wine support is an opt-in flag at build-time, so many games using EAC still remain incompatible (e.g.: Fortnite). Apex players asked for EAC-on-Wine to be enabled and the developers obliged by checking the checkbox. The reasons for why this is opt-in only are not public knowledge, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was some sort of special reduced-security mode. The APIs available to EAC-on-Wine are more-or-less a strict subset of those available to EAC-on-Windows, after all. FWIW: I don't think any Wine-exclusive exploits have ever been found in the wild. [1]: https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/news/epic-online-services-launches-anti-cheat-support-for-linux-mac-and-steam-deck https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/news/epic-online-services-la...

jsheard 4y ago
EAC runs in kernel mode on Windows, but is limited to user mode on Linux. It's relatively easy to evade detection by the Linux version, and that's reflected in the fact that the most popular Apex Legends cheats now target the Linux version even though most of the people using them probably aren't regular Linux users. Dual-booting into Linux is a small price to pay to minimise the chance of getting caught and losing your account.
- singron 4y ago
  Nobody would have predicted cheaters would finally cause the year of the Linux desktop in 2023.
  - jsheard 4y ago
    I do wonder what the ratio of genuine Linux gamers to opportunistic Linux cheaters is in the games which have enabled Proton anti-cheat support. If it skews too hard towards just being a crutch for cheaters then it's going to disincentivize developers from allowing Linux clients in competitive games going forwards.
    - johnfernow 4y ago
      Maybe a balancing act would be allowing Linux gamers for casual matches but preventing them from playing competitive matches. Unfortunately, there still might be some cheaters to ruin people's fun, but likely significantly fewer since it wouldn't improve their rank. Long term, maybe Valve could work with Epic to create a driver to support Easy Anti-cheat on Linux that works with Proton so that devs don't need to create a Linux-specific version of the game. Unfortunately, that'd likely be a considerable amount of work and Epic currently has no incentive to help the Steam Deck be successful. However, that could change. PC gaming is so much more expensive to get into than when they first created the Epic Games Store. A PS5 is $400 — good luck buying/building a PC remotely as powerful as that for under $1000. A Steam Deck is also only $400, and while weaker, it is portable and can still handle almost all AAA games so far. The Epic Games Store is never going to be allowed on PS5, but it could be on the Steam Deck. Unless PC hardware prices go down, it's easy to imagine a future where PC gaming declines and consoles become more popular, which is not good for Epic (since their store isn't on traditional consoles.) But the Steam Deck, due to its low price, could very well compete with consoles, and Epic could have their store there. Obviously this future of Windows PC gaming declining is extremely far from certain, but it's nice to be prepared in case it does.
noirscape 4y ago
Then, on the other end, you have Bungie with Destiny 2. That game uses BattlEye and Bungie have pretty much openly declared war on the Steam Deck. If they ever figure out you're running off of a Steam Deck, your account gets banned. Bungie support also went out of their way to specifically state that if you install Windows on the Deck (which some people do), they will still ban your account. It's... an interesting decision to say the least.
- coldpie 4y ago
  > Bungie have pretty much openly declared war on the Steam Deck. This hyperbole is really unnecessary. Game devs have many different incentives from a lot of directions that may result in a decision that is rational for them, that you dislike.
  - ncallaway 4y ago
    Um… banning a random subset of hardware for a PC game may be a rational decision for them, but it’s a fucking disgusting one and they should rightly be pilloried for such a shameful decision. Not supporting Linux is fine, but banning Windows users because they have hardware you’re opposed to is absolutely awful. Any company that does that, even if acting rationally, should be subject to withering criticism and should suffer in the marketplace.
    - coldpie 4y ago
      Please take your Angry Internet Guy level down a couple notches. Their own FAQ, quoted in a sibling comment, says they don't do that.
- jsheard 4y ago
  Their FAQ says it's fine to play on a Steam Deck running Windows, and normally running it in Proton will just result in getting kicked, with bans only handed out if you actively try to get around that restriction. Their issue clearly isn't with the Steam Deck but with anti-cheat solutions being compromised when running inside Proton, and they're not the only developer which has taken that stance. > Destiny 2 is not supported for play on the Steam Deck or on any system utilizing Steam Play's Proton unless Windows is installed and running. Players who attempt to launch Destiny 2 on the Steam Deck through SteamOS or Proton will be unable to enter the game and will be returned to their game library after a short time. Players who are not accessing Destiny 2 through Windows and attempt to bypass the SteamOS/Proton incompatibility will be met with a game ban. https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049024592-Destiny-2-Steam-Guide https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049024592-Desti...

jsheard 4y ago

EAC runs in kernel mode on Windows, but is limited to user mode on Linux. It's relatively easy to evade detection by the Linux version, and that's reflected in the fact that the most popular Apex Legends cheats now target the Linux version even though most of the people using them probably aren't regular Linux users. Dual-booting into Linux is a small price to pay to minimise the chance of getting caught and losing your account.

singron 4y ago
Nobody would have predicted cheaters would finally cause the year of the Linux desktop in 2023.
- jsheard 4y ago
  I do wonder what the ratio of genuine Linux gamers to opportunistic Linux cheaters is in the games which have enabled Proton anti-cheat support. If it skews too hard towards just being a crutch for cheaters then it's going to disincentivize developers from allowing Linux clients in competitive games going forwards.
  - johnfernow 4y ago
    Maybe a balancing act would be allowing Linux gamers for casual matches but preventing them from playing competitive matches. Unfortunately, there still might be some cheaters to ruin people's fun, but likely significantly fewer since it wouldn't improve their rank. Long term, maybe Valve could work with Epic to create a driver to support Easy Anti-cheat on Linux that works with Proton so that devs don't need to create a Linux-specific version of the game. Unfortunately, that'd likely be a considerable amount of work and Epic currently has no incentive to help the Steam Deck be successful. However, that could change. PC gaming is so much more expensive to get into than when they first created the Epic Games Store. A PS5 is $400 — good luck buying/building a PC remotely as powerful as that for under $1000. A Steam Deck is also only $400, and while weaker, it is portable and can still handle almost all AAA games so far. The Epic Games Store is never going to be allowed on PS5, but it could be on the Steam Deck. Unless PC hardware prices go down, it's easy to imagine a future where PC gaming declines and consoles become more popular, which is not good for Epic (since their store isn't on traditional consoles.) But the Steam Deck, due to its low price, could very well compete with consoles, and Epic could have their store there. Obviously this future of Windows PC gaming declining is extremely far from certain, but it's nice to be prepared in case it does.

noirscape 4y ago

Then, on the other end, you have Bungie with Destiny 2. That game uses BattlEye and Bungie have pretty much openly declared war on the Steam Deck. If they ever figure out you're running off of a Steam Deck, your account gets banned. Bungie support also went out of their way to specifically state that if you install Windows on the Deck (which some people do), they will still ban your account. It's... an interesting decision to say the least.

coldpie 4y ago
> Bungie have pretty much openly declared war on the Steam Deck. This hyperbole is really unnecessary. Game devs have many different incentives from a lot of directions that may result in a decision that is rational for them, that you dislike.
- ncallaway 4y ago
  Um… banning a random subset of hardware for a PC game may be a rational decision for them, but it’s a fucking disgusting one and they should rightly be pilloried for such a shameful decision. Not supporting Linux is fine, but banning Windows users because they have hardware you’re opposed to is absolutely awful. Any company that does that, even if acting rationally, should be subject to withering criticism and should suffer in the marketplace.
  - coldpie 4y ago
    Please take your Angry Internet Guy level down a couple notches. Their own FAQ, quoted in a sibling comment, says they don't do that.
jsheard 4y ago
Their FAQ says it's fine to play on a Steam Deck running Windows, and normally running it in Proton will just result in getting kicked, with bans only handed out if you actively try to get around that restriction. Their issue clearly isn't with the Steam Deck but with anti-cheat solutions being compromised when running inside Proton, and they're not the only developer which has taken that stance. > Destiny 2 is not supported for play on the Steam Deck or on any system utilizing Steam Play's Proton unless Windows is installed and running. Players who attempt to launch Destiny 2 on the Steam Deck through SteamOS or Proton will be unable to enter the game and will be returned to their game library after a short time. Players who are not accessing Destiny 2 through Windows and attempt to bypass the SteamOS/Proton incompatibility will be met with a game ban. https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049024592-Destiny-2-Steam-Guide https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049024592-Desti...