Fortnite on Linux: Epic confirms its arrival, what about the Steam Deck?

Fortnite readies its arrival on Linux. That’s what Epic Games announced on October 14, 2026, during the rollout of its new game launcher. The publisher’s aim: make its multiplayer title playable on this OS, offering an alternative to Windows, and grow its player base. The project still hinges on a key hurdle: adapting anti-cheat protections.

The issue isn’t just about whether a PC can render the game. Epic says its Linux anti-cheat solution hasn’t yet offered the same level of protection as Windows. In online matches, cheating software can give an unfair edge to its user and ruin the game for everyone else.

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To close the gap, the company is preparing Easy Anti-Cheat Linux v2. Behind this name lies an aim to verify that certain protections on the PC are active and that elements of the system have not been altered. Epic is engaging with the maintainers of various Linux distributions. Fortnite is set to serve as the initial testing ground before opening up to other developers.

Why the Steam Deck remains a special case

And what about Steam Deck owners? According to Epic, Valve's handheld will still have to wait, the Steam Deck not supporting the required features for this new anti-cheat solution. The company says it's in talks with Valve to find a path toward compatibility. A Linux announcement, therefore, does not at this stage guarantee the game will run on this device.

It's important to distinguish the game from its launcher. The new Epic Games app is already available in a trial version on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Being able to install this app on your computer doesn't mean Fortnite is playable there yet.

No launch date for Fortnite on Linux has been announced. The timeline, compatible distributions, and the progress of talks with Valve will be the next key details to determine when this project could join players' libraries.

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