EA says you can blame Linux cheaters for removing Apex Legends on Steam Deck

EA is removing Apex Legends on Steam Deck after realizing unscrupulous players were using Linux to cheat in the FPS game

EA/Respawn

EA is removing Apex Legends on Steam Deck after realizing unscrupulous players were using Linux to cheat in the FPS game. EA announced the decision in a brief help post and said the removal was immediate, so that’s the end of that.

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“We had to weigh the decision on the number of players who were legitimately playing on Linux/the Steam Deck versus the greater health of the population of players for Apex,” EA said in the announcement. ”While the population of Linux users is small, their impact infected a fair amount of players’ games. This ultimately brought us to our decision today.” 

“The openness of the Linux operating systems makes it an attractive one for cheaters and cheat developers,” EA continued. “Linux cheats are indeed harder to detect and the data shows that they are growing at a rate that requires an outsized level of focus and attention from the team for a relatively small platform.”

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Which is still a massive bummer for anyone who did enjoy playing Apex on Steam Deck. The move is unsurprising, though. Other competitive multiplayer games, including Destiny 2, are unavailable on Steam Deck for the same reason. It’s just too easy to cheat on Valve’s handheld.

EA also clarified that you can still play Apex Legends on Steam and Windows – and, presumably, Windows-based handheld PCs such as the Asus ROG Ally. Just not on Steam Deck, which uses Linux as its operating system.