Fortnite is part of Epic Games’ plans for Linux, although it still cannot be played on the new launcher on that system. The company is preparing a new implementation of Easy Anti-Cheat to make its arrival possible, with no release date announced.
What has launched is the preview version of the revamped Epic Games Launcher, available for Windows, macOS and, for the first time, natively for Linux. That application allows Epic to expand its presence on the platform, but its launch does not mean Fortnite is enabled.
The obstacle is anti-cheat protection: Easy Anti-Cheat already supports Linux, but Fortnite does not. To address this, Epic is rebuilding the technology under the name EAC Linux v2 and working with Linux distribution maintainers on security requirements.
The planned path begins with testing the new solution in Fortnite. Epic will bring the game to Linux through its launcher once the system works with a sufficient number of distributions. It also plans to make those improvements available to other developers so they can adapt their games.
Steam Deck remains an unresolved case. Epic is investigating compatibility with SteamOS and is in talks with Valve, but says the handheld console does not currently support the features required for EAC v2. In addition, the company has no plans to release Fortnite on the Steam store.
