Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat system will work on Steam Deck, after all
Valve says game developers can now enable Easy Anti-Cheat support without using Epic Online Services.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
As theSteam Decklaunch date approaches, Valve and a number of game developers are making a push to smooth out compatibility issues arising from the handheld’s Linux-based operating system, which uses software called Proton to run Steam games that don’t support Linux natively. One concern has been that anti-cheat software won’t easily make the transition, but Valve says it has solved one big chunk of that problem: Epic’s popular Easy Anti-Cheat system should now work on the Steam Deck without any big hassle for developers.
Earlier this month, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 developer Fatshark replied to a Steam discussion thread about Easy Anti-Cheat Steam Deck support, saying that it would be difficult because the software is split into two versions: a supported version that usesEpic Online Services(a free set of cross-platform multiplayer services that Epic offers game developers) and an unsupported version that doesn’t. Vermintide 2 uses the older version of the anti-cheat software, and the developer said it would need to look into creating a separate Steam Deck version of the game to get it working. The Dead By Daylight developer suggested that it was inthe same predicament.
According toa recent update from Valve, Epic Online Services are no longer needed to support Easy Anti-Cheat on Steam Deck.
“Our team has been working with Epic on Easy Anti-Cheat + Proton support over the last few months, and we’re happy to announce that adding Steam Deck support to your existing EAC games is now a simple process, and doesn’t require updating game binaries, SDK versions, or integration of EOS,” wrote Valve.
Epic bought Easy Anti-Cheat in 2018, andintroduced a free licenselast year. The software is used in tons of games, including Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Rust. BattlEye, another anti-cheat software, also works on the Steam Deck, which should help games such as Ark: Survival Evolved and Rainbow Six Siege earn theirDeck Verified badges, should they choose to.
Valve wants Steam’s entire libraryto be playable on the handhelds, and supporting anti-cheat software was one of the bigger hurdles that needed to be leaped to make that happen. Barring any unforeseen issues, Steak Deck now supports the two largest anti-cheat providers.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Tyler has covered videogames and PC hardware for 15 years. He regularly spends time playing and reporting on games like Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Overwatch 2, and Final Fantasy 14. While his speciality is in action RPGs and MMOs, he’s driven to cover all sorts of games whether they’re broken, beautiful, or bizarre.
Ayaneo’s announced its new AMD Strix Point handheld PC and you can bet CES 2025 is going to be awash with new AMD and Intel options
Horizon Zero Dawn’s fresh remaster is the best way to enjoy the game, even on handheld gaming PCs
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, November 9
