Epic Is Looking For Someone To "Champion Linux Anti-Cheat Capabilities"

If you haven't yet, follow us on X (Twitter), Mastodon, or Bluesky to know when we post new articles, and join our Reddit or Subscribe to us on YouTube to check out our content and interact with our awesome community. Thank you for supporting us!

One of the few reasons games may not work on the Steam Deck is due to anti-cheat. Kernel-level anti-cheats require access to the kernel of an OS, and that is specifically designed for Windows. That means playing any of these games on any other operating system, including SteamOS, is impossible. Some of the biggest games are impossible to play on the Deck because of it, including Call of Duty and Fortnite. However, it’s possible the latter may soon become compatible, because developer Epic is looking for someone who could “champion Linux anti-cheat capabilities for Epic.”

Epic recently posted a new job opening for a Senior Game Security Engineer. The goal of this job is to join the team to further develop their anti-cheat for use on tons of different games' encounter sheets as fast as possible. However, in this listing, it also notes that they want the person in the position to focus on Linux anti-cheat capabilities and have a “Deep Knowledge of Linux.”

Here is specifically what the job listing is asking for:

In this role, you will

• Apply deep knowledge of operating system internals to detect and prevent the latest cheating techniques
• Champion Linux anti-cheat capabilities for Epic
• Reverse engineer cheats and other malicious software
• Actively seek out the next opportunity to make an improvement
• Communicate regularly with internal and external game developers to meet their unique needs
• Build a strong overall understanding of our game security systems
• Work closely with anti-cheat data analysts to quickly iterate on new techniques developers

What we're looking for

• Expert knowledge of C/C++ in a security environment
• Deep knowledge of Linux and Windows OS internals
• Familiarity with development and security practices on Linux and Windows
• Experience debugging and reverse engineering x86-64 binaries
• Understanding of online multiplayer video game architectures
• Experience working with data analytics to solve, prevent, or monitor problems at scale
• Understanding of code obfuscation techniques

Epic Job Listing for Senior Game Security Engineer

Now, Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat is already technically compatible with Linux, and the list could just mean further developing those capabilities already, but it’s still interesting to see it being listed here. It could mean that they are working towards pushing Linux compatibility further, and in doing so, it could lead to Fortnite being playable on Linux OS, which includes the Steam Deck.

This isn’t confirmed, so consider this more speculation, but it’s very exciting nonetheless. Hopefully, we will see it become compatible, because I would not say no to getting in some matches on the go.

Source: GamingOnLinux

If you enjoyed this article, check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that will help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got you covered!