Epic Games just gave its launcher a major AI-powered overhaul, and now the company is planning to tackle a much bigger challenge, which is bringing Fortnite to Linux. The newly vibe-coded Epic Games Launcher has already released in preview for Windows, Mac, and, for the first time, Linux.
While Fortnite is still not playable on Linux, Epic is laying the groundwork to change that by rebuilding the Easy Anti-Cheat system to address security concerns that have kept Fortnite away from the platform.
Why does Fortnite need a new anti-cheat system?
Fortnite’s absence from Linux has mostly come down to cheating concerns. Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat already supports Linux, but Fortnite never enabled that support. Back in February 2022, CEO Tim Sweeney admitted the company lacked confidence it could fight cheating at scale across Linux’s many kernel configurations.
Now Epic says it is building EAC Linux v2, a new version designed to close that gap. The upgrade will require signed Linux kernels and modules, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, measured boot, IOMMU support, and kernel lockdown, while using eBPF technology to detect cheating and protect game processes.
There’s a plan, but Fortnite still doesn’t have a release date
Epic plans to test EAC Linux v2 with Fortnite first, then roll the technology out to other developers who would like to bring their own games to Linux players. The company is already working with major distro maintainers, and Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, openSUSE, and Universal Blue are already on its list of recognized signing keys.
Epic has not given a timeline for when Fortnite might actually arrive on Linux. Steam Deck owners face an additional hurdle. Epic says Valve’s handheld currently lacks the required features for EAC Linux v2. The company is discussing possible support with Valve, and hopes to find a solution down the road.
For now, Fortnite’s Linux release depends on Epic validating its new anti-cheat system and securing broader support from distribution maintainers.
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