Epic Games Wants Linux Gamers. It's Rebuilding EAC For Fortnite

Submitted ⁨⁨20⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz⁩ to ⁨steamdeck@sopuli.xyz⁩

https://itsfoss.com/news/epic-games-linux-anti-cheat-fortnite/

This article goes more into how EAC for Linux is being altered. Basically EAC can run with ring 0 access on windows machines to prevent cheats, but on Linux it doesn’t have the same level of invasive access. This is better for user privacy, but also limits its ability to prevent cheating.

The upcoming EAC Linux v2 will fall into a middle ground between the two, and will require the kernel to be signed with a key Epic recognizes. The system will also have to have TPM 2.0 and secure boot enabled. I recommend reading the article for more details.

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mlg@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago

EAC Linux v2 runs a systemd service that stays active just for the length of a protected game session, alongside eBPF programs written by Epic that watch for tampering and cheats.

For players, this means a stricter boot setup, so Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 need to be on, the kernel has to be signed with a key Epic recognizes, and several other boot and kernel settings come into play.

EAC checks all of this only when a protected game launches, and failing the check brings up an error, not a ban. Players can also keep a separate boot entry for protected games and run their own keys elsewhere.

So I guess MOK is not supported? That would make it impossible to play with Nvidia drivers because they need a MOK for signing.

Using eBPF is actually a pretty neat idea, but I guess MOK would be too easy of a bypass because you can sign your own kernel modules and just do whatever in kernel space.

It’s way better than a crappy kernel module but I wonder if hackers will actually abuse this for access over windows, especially when the Android version is also right there without any significant anticheat.

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11111one11111@lemmy.world ⁨39⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
All you have to do is say fuck almost all the reasons i switched to linux and BAM youll be playing a shitty free2play royal rumble shooter in no time!

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realitaetsverlust@piefed.zip ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Well well well, fortnite losing tons of players, epic firing thousands of devs … suddenly the people that are switching to linux getting more relevant huh timmy.

You can go fuck yourself tho.

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Sabata11792@ani.social ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

so Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 need to be on

Nah, fuck off and stick to Windows.

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- oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Umm maybe it’s just me and my distro, but using secure boot won’t even let my Nvidia drivers run, soooo…
  
  Although I’m not as familiar with the TPM, being knowing that Win11 needed it for some goddamn reason. I’ve never even noticed a setting for it or whether it’s on or off (never had a reason to care).
  
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  - Sabata11792@ani.social ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    These are reasons I stopped using windows int he first place. I don’t need an evil corpo telling me what settings I must use so they can hide what there doing.
    
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WolvenSpectre@lemmy.ca ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Needs TPM, Secure Boot, and restricted Distros. Naw Dawg… I’m good.

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RickyRigatoni@piefed.zip ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Fortnite must be hemmoraging players for them to do this.

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gukleszl4hs48ughgxhr5xgd@fedia.io ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Fuck and do the anticheat server side, stingy cunts.

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16mhz@lemmy.ml ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
No thanks, i dont care for anti-cheat titles to begin with and there is Heroic in case i need to run a game from epic store.

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radiouser@crazypeople.online ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Stick it up your ass, Tim Sweeney (the bitch).

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artyom@piefed.social ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Epic doesn’t care about Linux gsmers. This is an AI publicity stunt. The app does not work and probably never will.

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- iamthetot@piefed.ca ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  This article is about EAC, not their new app.
  
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  - artyom@piefed.social ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Same same
    
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steelplatedmech@piefed.ca ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Is the OS remaining secure and private with the anticheat that is requiring tpm, secure boot, etc?

Or like the Windows anticheat is it going to be able to access all the files on the PC?

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- Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  My understanding is that there’s a systemd service that runs only when the game runs, and that uses ePBF to restrict read/write access to the game files while it’s running (to prevent tampering). The tpm/secure boot/recognized kernel part is to make sure the user doesn’t have a modified kernel that will lie to the anti-cheat.
  
  If everything works like they say, they shouldn’t have access to the non-game files and no direct kernel access. So privacy should be maintained, and theoretically no risk of a EAC bug or exploit causing a full system crash.
  
  Overall it sounds much better to me than windows anti-cheat, but that’s a pretty low bar.
  
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  - steelplatedmech@piefed.ca ⁨34⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
    If true that does sound like a huge improvement over the Windows anticheat experience.
    
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  - DacoTaco@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Agreed to your comment. Only problem i have with it is that i use mainline to get latest kernels, and that wont work (kernel is not signed). Other than that, sounds good tbh
    
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  - Sina@beehaw.org ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    
    Overall it sounds much better to me than windows anti-cheat, but that’s a pretty low bar.
    
    I think all the things you are saying are just claims. As far as I understand it, this will be closed source software that runs as root, so basically it’s just trustmebro, same as on Windows.
    
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Denjin@feddit.uk ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
All 4 of the 9 year old children who are on Linux want to play Fortnite are going to be pumped for this!

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- bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  This targets the parents more. My son started out on Linux but has since moved to Windows because that makes it easier for him to play games with his friends.
  
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SwooshBakery624@programming.dev ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I am not gonna play Fortnite or anything with an invasive anti-cheat, but more multiplayer games available for Linux means more adoption amongst casual players. So, at the end of the day it’s a net positive thing.

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SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Typical of Tim’s Weenie

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popekingjoe@lemmy.world ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Image

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- Zorque@lemmy.world ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Because all the other pandering and blame-shifting they’ve done so far hasn’t worked.
  
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someguy3@lemmy.world ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Does TPM and secure boot mean the same processors that windows 11 needs?

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- WolvenSpectre@lemmy.ca ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  No. There are 2 ways to get TPM. The TPM Chip and the eTPM built into most modern CPU’s. There were CPU’s that met the SecureBoot/TPM features for Win 11 buy failed in other respects so it would say the CPU failed. Also for CPU’s that did fail the TPM check, you can get the TPM Chip on a module for your motherboard. But that is only if you are OK with TPM/SecureBoot because there are a myriad of reasons like when active it can be fingerprinted to defeat your anonymity when using VPNs and it can be used to track you. Also they have been several severe exploits found in TPM and SecureBoot because the code is not maintained as often as it is supposed to be to be kept secure.
  
  It is one of the key reasons I am on Linux right now and I plan Windows 10 to be my last Windows PC build as a daily driver. I am not enabling that Microsoft BS on my Linux PC to play a game.
  
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