Epic Games confirmed on October 14, 2026 that Fortnite is coming to Linux. Getting there requires a rebuilt anti-cheat called EAC Linux v2, and it arrives with a long list of conditions: Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, a signed kernel, kernel lockdown and more. Epic hasn’t announced a release date.
The news came with a preview of a rebuilt Epic Games Launcher that runs natively on Linux for the first time. Epic says Fortnite will arrive through that launcher once the new anti-cheat has support from enough distribution maintainers.
Fortnite on Linux: the short version
- Release date: none yet. Fortnite will launch on Linux through the Epic Games Launcher once EAC Linux v2 has backing from enough distro maintainers.
- Anti-cheat: EAC Linux v2 installs no kernel module. It uses a systemd service and eBPF programs that run only while a protected game is open.
- System requirements: Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, measured boot, a signed kernel and signed modules, IOMMU, kernel lockdown in integrity mode, kexec disabled and the BPF LSM.
- Trusted keys: nine so far, covering Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, openSUSE, SUSE, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Universal Blue and Microsoft’s UEFI CA for shim.
- Steam Deck: not supported yet. Epic says it is talking with Valve.
- Custom kernels and self-signed drivers: they won’t pass the check. Epic suggests keeping a separate boot entry for protected games.
What Epic announced
Epic published two posts on October 14. The first introduces the new Epic Games Launcher preview. The Linux build ships as an AppImage and officially supports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer, Fedora 43 or newer and Debian 12 or newer. The second is a technical post on Easy Anti-Cheat that explains why Fortnite has stayed off Linux and what has to change.
The history explains the delay. Easy Anti-Cheat has supported native Linux games since 2014, and Epic added Wine and Proton support in 2021. Both are opt-in for each game, and many developers never turned them on because the Linux version couldn’t match Windows-level protection. Fortnite never made the jump for the same reason.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said in 2022 that the company doubted it could fight cheating at scale across the range of kernel setups Linux allows, custom builds included. The new requirements read like a direct answer. Instead of trusting whatever kernel a player runs, EAC Linux v2 asks the system to prove what booted.
How EAC Linux v2 works without a kernel driver
On Windows, Easy Anti-Cheat relies on a kernel driver that starts with the game and stops when the player quits. Epic isn’t building an equivalent module for Linux. EAC Linux v2 leans on features the kernel already offers, including measured boot, the kernel lockdown LSM and IOMMU support, plus Epic’s own eBPF logic for integrity checks and cheat detection.
The first time you launch a protected game, you’ll be asked to install an anti-cheat systemd service. It runs only while the game does. Epic checks the requirements each time you start a protected online game, so your machine doesn’t have to stay locked down between sessions. If a check fails, you get an error message and no ban.
Games that already use the older Linux implementation can stay on it for maximum compatibility or switch to v2 for stronger protection.
EAC Linux v2 requirements
Epic lists eight requirements and expects to revise them as developers and distro maintainers send feedback.
- Signed kernel and modules. The kernel must be signed with a well-known key. Out-of-tree modules get the same treatment, and Epic names NVIDIA’s GPU driver as the notable example. They must be built by an organization and signed with a well-known key.
- TPM 2.0. It must be present and enabled in firmware. Its extend-only registers hold a tamper-resistant record of what ran during boot.
- Secure Boot. It must be on, and the boot chain must verify against well-known keys only.
- Measured boot. The boot manager has to record measurements into the TPM. systemd-boot and GRUB usually do this by default. Other boot managers may need extra configuration or may not support it.
- IOMMU. On non-handheld devices it must be enabled in firmware and in the kernel, with passthrough disabled. This keeps DMA-capable cheat hardware away from the game process.
- Kernel lockdown in integrity mode. It must be enabled explicitly at boot. It takes away root’s ability to load unsigned modules, write to physical memory or write CPU model-specific registers.
- Kexec disabled. It must be switched off explicitly at boot. Kexec can load a modified kernel without leaving a trace in the measured boot log.
- BPF LSM. It must be loaded and active, so Epic’s eBPF programs can stop other processes from reading or writing the game’s memory and watch for cheats loaded in other ways.
Which Linux distros will work with Fortnite?
EAC Linux v2 checks the keys behind your boot chain against a “well-known” list that Epic maintains for now. It has nine entries today:
- Canonical: Ubuntu and derivatives such as Linux Mint
- Fedora: Fedora and derivatives such as Silverblue
- Universal Blue: Bazzite, Bluefin, Aurora and derivatives
- Debian: Debian and derivatives
- openSUSE: openSUSE and derivatives
- SUSE Linux Enterprise
- Rocky Linux
- AlmaLinux
- Microsoft UEFI CA: signs shim, the small bootloader many distros use to boot under Secure Boot
Epic wants to open source the list and accept pull requests. Maintainers who want their signing keys added can email linux-gaming@epicgames.com.
What it means for popular setups
- Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Debian and openSUSE: the kernels already carry a trusted signature, so the work should be mostly firmware settings and boot parameters. Epic warns that some required features may need configuration changes on a given distro.
- NVIDIA on Ubuntu: Ubuntu offers prebuilt NVIDIA modules signed by Canonical, which fits Epic’s rules.
- NVIDIA through DKMS or akmods: modules built locally and signed with a key you enrolled yourself fall outside the rules. Epic’s FAQ says every enrolled Machine Owner Key must be well-known.
- Arch, Gentoo, NixOS and other self-signed setups: they don’t pass today. Epic says custom keys are fine for your other boot entries, but they belong in the Secure Boot db, not the MOK list.
- SteamOS and Steam Deck: not covered at launch. Epic’s game security engineering director, Rick Deist, told PC Gamer the company is looking into compatibility with Steam Deck and SteamOS devices.
How to check your system today
Epic hasn’t published step-by-step setup guides yet, so treat these commands as a way to see where your machine stands, not an official recipe.
mokutil --sb-state
cat /sys/class/tpm/tpm0/tpm_version_major
cat /sys/kernel/security/lockdown
cat /sys/kernel/security/lsm
cat /proc/sys/kernel/kexec_load_disabled
ls /sys/kernel/iommu_groups
sudo dmesg | grep -i "default domain type"- Secure Boot: the first command should report that it is enabled.
- TPM: the second prints 2 on a TPM 2.0 device.
- Lockdown: the active mode appears in brackets, and you want
integrity. - BPF LSM: look for
bpfin the module list. - Kexec: 1 means it is disabled.
- IOMMU: the groups folder shouldn’t be empty, and the log line should say Translated, not Passthrough.
What Linux users are saying
The r/linux thread on the announcement collected thousands of upvotes and a long comment section. Reactions fell into three groups.
Supporters see this as bigger than one game. Easy Anti-Cheat sits behind a long list of multiplayer titles, and several commenters called anti-cheat the last big reason their friends stay on Windows. Others liked that Epic skipped the kernel driver.
Critics pointed at Secure Boot, TPM 2.0 and the role of Microsoft’s key in the trust chain. Some worry that custom kernels and locally built drivers get shut out, or that a list of approved distros turns into gatekeeping. One technical point came up repeatedly: DKMS counts as compiling your own drivers, even when your distro runs it quietly in the background.
A third group shrugged. They argued that people who build custom kernels and people who play Fortnite barely overlap, and that a separate boot entry covers most cases. Several commenters also asked what data the service collects, where it goes and whether the eBPF components will be open source or independently audited. Epic’s technical post doesn’t go into detail on any of that.
Why this matters beyond Fortnite
Epic plans to pilot EAC Linux v2 in Fortnite and then offer it to other developers. That is where Linux gaming stands to gain the most. Some studios keep Linux and Proton off the table on purpose: Facepunch, the studio behind Rust, has said Linux support gives cheat developers a way in. PC Gamer notes that Epic’s move could change that calculation for Rust and other holdouts.
The approach also follows a trend on Windows. EA’s Battlefield 6 and Activision’s Call of Duty both ask PC players for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Epic is applying the same hardware-backed idea to Linux without shipping a driver of its own.
What happens next
- Epic is reaching out to Linux community leaders and will co-host a panel with Fedora Project Leader Jef Spaleta later this year.
- Distro maintainers are being asked to align with the requirements so their keys can join the list.
- Fortnite will be the live test for EAC Linux v2, with wider availability for other developers to follow.
- Still unknown: the release date, whether Fortnite ships as a native build or runs through a compatibility layer, and when Steam Deck support might arrive.
Fortnite on Linux FAQ
When will Fortnite be available on Linux?
Epic hasn’t given a date. It says Fortnite will come through the Epic Games Launcher once EAC Linux v2 works with enough distro maintainers.
Do I need Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to play Fortnite on Linux?
Yes. Both must be enabled in firmware, and the boot chain must use well-known keys. Most modern PCs include TPM 2.0, but you may need to switch it on in the BIOS.
Will Fortnite run on the Steam Deck?
Not at launch. Epic says the Steam Deck lacks features EAC Linux v2 needs and that it is talking with Valve. It hasn’t offered a timeline.
Can I still use my own kernel and drivers?
Yes, for everything except protected play. EAC Linux v2 checks your setup when you start a protected game, so you can keep a separate boot entry with the required kernel and command line and pick it when you want to play. Custom Secure Boot keys are fine for your other entries. If you boot through shim, enroll them in the db, not as Machine Owner Keys.
Does EAC Linux v2 use a kernel driver?
No. It relies on kernel security features, a systemd service and eBPF programs. The service runs only while a protected game does.
Will I get banned if my system doesn’t meet the requirements?
No. You’ll see an error message.
Will EAC Linux v2 stop all cheating?
No, and Epic doesn’t claim it will. Anti-cheat needs regular updates, and a working cheat doesn’t mean the system is broken. The goal is a strong foundation that raises the cost of building and maintaining cheats, so typical players rarely meet cheaters. Epic also uses server-side data as an extra layer.
The catch, and the upside
The catch is plain. Fortnite on Linux now depends less on Epic’s engineers and more on distributions agreeing to ship boot chains that pass these checks by default. Epic says the more distros that do, the fewer players will need to change their setup.
The upside is bigger than one game. If EAC Linux v2 holds up in Fortnite, other developers can adopt it, and that could bring more EAC-protected titles to Linux. If it doesn’t, Fortnite stays a project for enthusiasts willing to keep a dedicated gaming boot entry. Either way, Epic has stopped treating Linux as unfixable and put specific, testable requirements on the table.
Sources: Epic Online Services, Epic Games Store, Epic Games Launcher preview page, PC Gamer
