No Apex Legends 2 Followed by Linux Ban Before Season 23

The massive decline in player numbers for Apex Legends has sparked widespread speculation that developer Respawn Entertainment is about to abandon the game. Season 23 of Apex Legends premieres this week, and while Respawn has put an end to rumors of a sequel, the game has undergone significant changes in preparation. Yes, there won't be any Alex Legends 2, and Respawn has officially confirmed it. But that's how what made the fans upset lately.

However, Respawn has made a massive shift in their ongoing attempts to deal with cheaters in Apex Legends by increasing the anti-cheat measures. This followed the event in March 2024, when EA's Easy Anti-Cheat Software suspended an Apex Legends tournament due to a sudden Apex Legends hacking incident. While this update may have improved performance, it has also sparked quite a bit of spark since it's stopping hundreds of gamers from playing the game on the platform they preferred.

An article titled "Dev Team Update Linux and Anti-Cheat" was published a few days ago on Respawn's Twitter, subtitling the move as "We're sharing today that Linux and Steam Deck using Linux will no longer be able to access Apex Legends." The announcement was made somewhat quietly. This effectively removes support for playing Apex on Linux operating systems.

Since Linux is the operating system it uses, this also encompasses Valve's latest portable console, the Steam Deck, which highly frustrates those playing Apex using it. Linux is an alternative operating system for computers, and it's more customizable than Windows. Many genuine programmers prefer it, and so do cheat makers.

Regarding the Linux ban, Respawn mentioned that they found Linux OS to be a gateway to several powerful cheats and risk factors, and they decided to go against it, which was a tough choice, but they thought it would significantly cut down on cheating. Many Linux users, however, expressed their displeasure with this in their responses since they can't play the game anymore and are forced to play on a different OS, which they don't own.

In fact, they are now forced to choose between quitting Apex Legends or switching to Windows, which obviously makes them very unhappy. In addition, a handful of comments went viral from Linux users blasting Respawn, claiming that they are essentially ruined, particularly those who had invested five years and nearly $1,000 into Apex Legends since its launch.

Respawn Hideouts also stated that we would see more of these cheats and see how the users haven't been banned while using Linux. It's unfair to assume that all Linux users cheated, but although several users may be upset about the move, others are happy because it will ultimately improve Apex Legends' gameplay experience. This is because Linux was a major enabler of some of the most harmful cheats.

However, you should be aware that many Linux users are now unable to play Apex Legends. Windows seems to be the only OS where Apex Legends can be played, which is unfortunate because the game doesn't support Mac OS, either. Though I'd never prefer to play Apex Legends on Mac anyway—I'm not sure anyone would, either.

The announcement follows a recent vlog in which Respawn mentioned their efforts to fight cheating. Many Linux users had spent an awful lot on the game, so it's good to see that Respawn is committed to fixing the game's anti-cheat system, even if it means losing quite a bit of money. We've seen how Activision used RICOCHET Anti-Cheat AI for Black Ops 6, so perhaps it was merely a reflection of Respawn's priorities.

Even though a lot of people are furious about it, hopefully, it will pay off in the end. But the irony is that this restriction comes right after the #1 Apex Predator was banned. The strangest part is that nobody knew if he was cheating or if he was wrongfully banned. Perhaps this is the updated anti-cheat system in action, or it's just another massive error. Whether it's in Apex, Battle Royale, or even the Rumble, somehow, most of the best players were always caught cheating, and it's starting to make me wonder if everyone expects the top Apex Predator to be cheating.

Apex Legends' player counts fell significantly the day following the Linux ban, reaching their lowest point in recent memory. Whether this is directly tied to Linux's ban or if the game simply had a bad day, I'm not sure. Still, it's encouraging to see Respawn cracking down on cheaters; with any luck, future anti-cheat initiatives will further strengthen Apex's defenses.