Epic Games is launching a new, faster, lighter Preview version of its launcher available now for Linux with upcoming Fortnite support
https://launcher.epicgames.com/
From FAQ:
What should I know about Linux support?
The new Epic Games Launcher runs natively on Linux, but many games are Windows-only builds and may need a compatibility layer. Check each game’s Linux compatibility before installing.
We support Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer, Fedora 43 or newer, and Debian 12 or newer. Other distributions may work but aren’t officially tested or supported.
Use the Send feedback button in the launcher to report issues.
https://onlineservices.epicgames.com/news/introducing-easy-anti-cheat-linux-v2
Also epic is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat for Linux (EAC Linux v2) to deliver near-Windows-level protection using signed kernels, Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and other existing Linux security features starting with a Fortnite, so more multiplayer games can finally support the platform without enabling widespread cheating.
70 replies
That's some anti-christ shit
It may not be your thing, but I believe this is a good thing. Some people don't make the switch to Linux at all because they can't play games with kernel-level anticheat. At the very least, anyone who may dual boot Linux and Windows can now boot Linux and their anticheat kernel Linux. Hopefully other Windows-only games will follow.
Then they should suffer with Microslop until they get some self-esteem and better taste in games
I use Linux on everything but my main desktop (Laptop, Project Server, web server, some Rpis), primarily because I like Fortnite.
So I am looking forward to this.
I am going to play Fortnite anyway, which means anti cheat etc anyway, I would love to have it in Linux instead of Windows.
Your deal breaker is Fortnite?
I like playing games. I don't do much besides play games on that desktop, anything else is done on my laptop.
Me too, been playing WoW again lately.
Checking if you run the default kernel is way better than shipping rootkit to everyone.
It's almost too good to be true.
The worse part is requiring secure boot, as if I wanted to have a dual kernel set up (my nornal, unsigned, I own my hardware and do what I want with it kernel and my locked down, M$ approved and signed, we own you epic games kernel) I can't just switch between them with a bootloader like rEFInd or GRUB, I have to go and enable secure boot each time in the BIOS. You don't need secure boot to play Fortnite on Windows. This is worse somehow.
Secure boot + tpm is probably a developer toggle the same way linux is now. It would be stupid to make linux users jump through more hoops than windows users, we are basically all people who gave up trying to jump through hoops for tech companies. HOWEVER, we are talking about epic games
Kernel Level Anti Cheat with remote attestation on Linux. Great. :/
Easy Anti-Christ
That they are building an anti-cheat with existing open kernel security features instead of writing their own kernel modules is somehow a bad thing?
Well there’s still the option for you not to install it.
Personally, I’d rather want this type of anticheat than having to use windows ever again.
A signed kernel does not directly mean that they will supply the kernel. They might work together with some distros and trust those signed kernels. Secure boot is often already used by Linux users. TPM I don't know.
Cuck coding an anti-cheat should be interesting. I wonder how many "you are right to push back, I left a giant vulnerability open that can be exploited by fornight, let me fix that for you" they will come across.
Signed kernel means no akmods right? Without being able to install Nvidia drivers this may already be a nonstarter.
Didn’t Epic just force some of their Devs into a slop-first programming model?
Yes, and - of course - the launcher is vibe-coded too. They even proudly say so on the announcement page:
Holy shit! That’s a first for me. I’m not as anti as I once was, but vibe coding is just irresponsible. Do they have the same definition of it as I have?
How is anyone but you supposed to know that unless you define yours?
Not even looking at the code, but only seeing it kinda works at a functional level, usually only superficially.
A quote from Tim Swiney in the announcement is that "it'll have advanced features like a shopping cart".
No, I'm not kidding. He really fucking said that
Vibe coded. I fucking hate that term. Anyone who uses it I instantly know to be an unprofessional hack of a dev.
No.
Unreal Engine 6 (which is not out yet) is replacing Blueprint, Unreal's visual scripting language, with "Verse" a text-based language that is intended to be easier for coding models like claude to work with. Dev's who do not wish to use such AI tools can either stay on UE4-5 or strictly develop C++ in UE6. After the announcement they got a lot of backlash (most people seem to love blueprint) and hopefully Epic reconsiders but I doubt they will.
It is dumb move on Epic's part imo, but it's not as bad as people make it out to be.
For context: "Developers on the game, a shooter featuring characters from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, were instructed to implement an “AI first” production model using tools such as Anthropic’s Claude. Humans will then manage and guide that work. “No more hand-written code,” one of the game’s directors told staff in an internal message reviewed by Bloomberg. The director added that all art for the game would be “generated with full AI workflows.”"
Thank you for the content - I was unaware of this.
Pretty cool I spent the past decade learning C++ and UE to fulfill my dream of making games. Now none of that matters. If I release the game I have been developing myself it will be called ai slop. Thanks Epic!
You can release your game to a lot of different platforms, Epic Games isn't the only one right? And you can clearly advertise AI-free development - some people definitely like it. (Me included.)
Epic Games developed Unreal Engine and they are adding AI development tools in the up coming UE6. I dont know how much an
AI-free developmenttag will help public opinion of UE games. But who knows - maybe youre right. Crazy timesAh, I didn't know that, thanks for the heads-up. Missed the context.
Not gonna install a rootkit on Linux, either.
TLDR for those who didn't read the EAC Linux v2 post.
On hardware side, it requires TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU) enabled in BIOS.
On software side, it requires a signed kernel and kernel modules, measured boot, kernel lockdown integrity mode, kexec to be disabled, and Linux Security Module BPF.
Where keys are needed, they must all be well-known. Epic maintains a list of well-known keys.
Basically this all requires that your machine has the required features and that your distribution provides a proper kernel.
It depends on systemd? I don't care about init systems but watching the people who do is going to be very funny when it releases.
(I hate having to fiddle with my bios so I'll probably stick to my switch for eac games but at least it isn't a rootkit)
My speculation but people who purposefully don't use systemd probably won't care about Epic Vibe Launcher anyway.
Yeah but people on the internet also like getting mad at things
Eh, we have rights to yell at cloud. :)
The more I've used Linux, the more I've come around on the idea of systemd. At least now it's easy to understand services and their status.
If I'm not mistaken eBPF is code executing in the kernel, so I'm guessing that systemd service loads the kernel part of the anti cheat. If so this is a root kit.
Epic games can go fuck themselves, in Windows and Linux alike.
Hard pass on the Epic Vibe Launcher. Heroic it is.
If a
treenew launcherfallslaunchesin the woodsat Epic,does it make a sounddoes anyone fucking care?Stay the fuck off my kernel. Signed, me
"I wish games with anti-cheat had Linux support!"
Monkey's paw curls
its vibe coded apparently
also anticheats on Linux is gonna start being a little more intrusive
I think this generally is a good thing but I'm gonna pass on the rootkit and the launcher with ads and popups. Also, very funny to me that suddenly Linux is a priority after saying that they won't support Linux because it's not in their financial interest
A Vibe coded mess is what we getting.
I have no interest in using their launcher, new “faster, lighter” version or not (I’ll stick with Heroic), but I hope this means they’ll start distributing native Linux versions of games on their platform. I got Enter the Gungeon for free on Epic and I’m forced to play it through Proton even though the game has a native build
As someone who enjoys Fortnite but gave it up when I switched to full time Linux, this is exciting. I would love to jump back in.
If this is a success and we start seeing other games like COD have Linux support, I will be super happy.
You may not like the games, but you should never be against the option for people to play them on Linux.
Cool I guess, but still trying to make client-side cheat detection happen is so futile and stupid.
From: https://onlineservices.epicgames.com/news/introducing-easy-anti-cheat-linux-v2
It's okay, we know who you talk to.
Omarchy?
I wanted make a joke about this, but thinking through, its a fair enough reply/question. I was thinking of Linux Gaming specifically. But the more I think about it, Omarchy isn't leading the Linux community, if anything its not for the community but for corporations if we split hairs. Also the quote I had put out talks about "leaders", meaning multiple. And they want to have it integrated into non gaming focused distributions as well.
Turns out, we don't know with certainty who they talk to.
Meh. Heroic launcher has been fine.
It's 2026 and the store, and the launcher function like a prototype that I would cobble together in 2 hours.
Is Fortnite actually getting Linux support? That's a big +1 for game support on Linux
*-1
No thanks, i dont care for anti-cheat titles to begin with and there is Heroic in case i need to run a game from epic store.
And EA's anti cheat is also on the way, maybe we'll see FC28 on Linux. What else are normies missing, Roblox?
Let these guys move to Linux, the more, the merrier. This is for them.
Nah, let them suffer with Microslop until they get some self respect and better taste
Call of Duty for one
I would actually rather dual boot to windows (on an entirely separate drive, fuck windows trying to mess up my drive) than boot Linux with an untrusted kernel that gives epic root access to my system with all my important stuff on it.
It doesn't sound like they are shipping the kernel, only that your kernel must be signed with well known keys which I assume the supported distros are? Still not keen on it personally and wouldn't run the anti cheat myself but at least it's user space.
Can't say for everyone, but I'm happy with GOG and I see no reason to switch. This news piece, of all, definitely doesn't incentivize me.
Will they call this the steam wars?
Thats great, I look forward to continuing to not use or give a fuck about epic or its launcher.
What game platform?
Lets go!!! Fortnite is the only thing keeping me from switching to linux right now. I was thinking of dualbooting just to play fortnite but once it's supported I won't have to.
I even asked Epic Games support about this two days ago and they had "no details to share at the moment".
You can start dualbooting now in order to get used to Linux, find programs that replaces the ones you used in Windows and start the transition to Linux. In worst case fortnite for Linux is delayed and then you have dualbooting until it releases.
I already use it on my laptop (and Steam Deck) wich I use for school, and pretty much all software I use on windows is FOSS and available on linux or I have already found suitable replacements. Would rather not dualboot as I have read that windows might stop working or locks itself up if done incorrectly. I would rather do a clean switch.
I hope Epic goes bankrupt before this is complete. We don't need dumbass CEO's trying to force kernel anti-cheat into Linux