Fortnite is coming to Linux, Epic Games confirmed on October 14, 2026, once a rebuilt Easy Anti-Cheat is “working with a critical mass of distro maintainers.” Epic gave no date. The plan is in its Epic Games Launcher preview announcement and a same-day Epic Online Services technical post on what it calls EAC Linux v2.
The Details
Epic explains why Fortnite has stayed off Linux: Easy Anti-Cheat already supports Linux, but “our Linux implementation couldn’t offer the same level of protection as our Windows implementation. This is why Fortnite isn’t available on Linux yet.” EAC Linux v2 will be piloted in Fortnite first, then offered to other developers.
Some early reports call it kernel-level anti-cheat. Epic’s FAQ says the opposite: “EAC Linux v2 does not install or load an anti-cheat kernel module.” It relies on security features already in Linux, an anti-cheat systemd service that “only starts when a protected game starts,” and eBPF programs.
The catch is the setup. Epic’s current requirements, which it expects to revise:
- A kernel, and any kernel modules (Nvidia’s GPU driver included), signed with a “well-known” key.
- TPM 2.0 enabled in the BIOS.
- Secure Boot on, using well-known keys, plus measured boot.
- IOMMU enabled on non-handheld devices.
- Kernel lockdown in integrity mode, kexec disabled and the BPF security module active.
Keys Epic already accepts cover Ubuntu and Linux Mint, Fedora, Bazzite, Bluefin and Aurora, Debian, openSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise, Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux. Epic says it is contacting distribution maintainers and wants to open source the key list.
What This Means for Players
Steam Deck owners will have to wait. Epic says the Deck “does not support the required features for our EAC v2 solution, but we are actively talking with Valve and hope to support it in the future.”
You do not have to lock down your whole system. The checks run only when a protected game starts, and Epic says you can keep a separate boot entry just for protected games. Starting one without the requirements is safe too: “you will just see an error message,” not a ban.
Windows players already know part of this. Fortnite tournaments require Secure Boot and TPM on Windows, as our Fortnite FPS guide notes. Anti-cheat is changing elsewhere as well: Apex Legends is replacing Easy Anti-Cheat with EA’s own system.
Fortnite will arrive through the new Epic Games Launcher, already in preview on Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian. Until then, every Fortnite guide is on our Fortnite hub.
Source: Epic Online Services, “Awesome Gaming on Linux Without Cheating”, October 14, 2026, and the Epic Games Store launcher preview announcement, October 14, 2026.