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EA expanding EA Anti-Cheat - bad news for Steam Deck / Linux

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EA (Electronic Arts) are continuing to expand their home-grown EA Anti-Cheat, with an announcement that Battlefield 2042 is also moving over to it.

This isn't actually something entirely new though, as it was given a Deep Dive back in 2022 and released with Fifa 23 that same year, and it's also in the newly released EA SPORTS FC 24. Battlefield is definitely not the first game to get it but it's a growing issue.

Part of the problem is that it doesn't work on Linux / Steam Deck, with it being blocked by EA. It's a kernel-mode anti-cheat and anti-tamper solution, which as we've seen from other anti-cheats is particularly problematic for Linux / Steam Deck. And it's likely EA will continue to use it with new games, and potentially get other older games updated to use it too. So if they got Respawn to switch over to it, this would kill Apex Legends on Linux / Steam Deck too.

Fifa 23 and EA SPORTS FC 24 are rated Unsupported on Linux / Steam Deck due to it, and while Battlefield 2042 previously used Easy Anti-Cheat, they never bothered to hook up support for that on Linux anyway (even though EAC supports Linux), so it's just going to continue to be Unsupported.

We can only hope that Valve are keeping an eye on the situation and speak to EA to eventually get support for it on Linux / Steam Deck with Proton.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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27 comments
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padde Sep 29, 2023
[quote=kaktuspalme]
Quoting: MayeulCYes it should be done on the server. Client side anti cheat will always be possible.

I think that wouldn't work. E.g. for timing-related cheating any network jitter - e.g. cause by your flatmate streaming a movie - would cause lots of false positives.
ssj17vegeta Sep 29, 2023
Sometimes I daydream about a world government that makes DRMs, anti-tamper and anti-cheat solutions a crime punishable by life imprisonment, and then I shake out of it :(
StalePopcorn Sep 29, 2023
Battlefield 2042, what a loss. I've been staying away from that evil company's games for a while now. I'm a little extra appreciative of my doing that now. Thanks for the heads-up.
romatthe Sep 29, 2023
Closed-source kernel-level anti-cheat is pure insanity, even on Windows.
Belaptir Sep 29, 2023
Quoting: JpxeEither helping out with the anti cheat development
Nice idea! It would really help some small studios that maybe don't have the resources to do it!

Quoting: Jpxeor actively buying some companies to fix the problem

Not nice idea! We don't want the industry to be bought even more than right nwo. look at what happens with the likes of embracer group or epic...

Quoting: Guestoh no I won't be able to play fifa, what a tragic loss of this masterpiece

Are you suggesting that this (not)fifa is not just a rooster update with a name change? I am shocked, SHOCKED for the consequences of this.

By the way, here in Italy, people are calling it "Fa Cagare 24" (you could translate it as "Really Sucks 24").
Purple Library Guy Sep 29, 2023
Quoting: BelaptirAre you suggesting that this (not)fifa is not just a rooster update
So, like, more colourful feathers, bigger wattles?
udekmp69 Sep 29, 2023
Cheating hysteria
Pirolisi Sep 29, 2023
Lol, when there is a discussion about anti cheats there are always the usual dudes talking about server sided anti cheats.... You simply don't know what you are talking about
officernice Sep 29, 2023
This is only a problem if Titanfall 3 is made. :D
benstor214 Sep 29, 2023
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Quoting: Jpxe[...] or actively buying some companies to fix the problem.
That's beneath them. (Obligatory disclaimer: Valve is a company who wants your money and who is not your friend. That being out of the way, Valve is not EA. They're not the same.)

Besides, Electronic Arts does something that actively disregards and hurts their customers and they couldn't care less while doing it? The public is totally flabbergasted. Oh, the humanity!
It's business as usual for Electronic Aids, the limited feelings they have for their very own consumers is utter disgust, despiciency and contempt.

edit: correcting auto-correct


Last edited by benstor214 on 29 September 2023 at 10:04 pm UTC
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