On the quiet edges of the PC gaming world, a long rivalry between two storefronts has found a small, unexpected point of contact: Epic Games has named SteamOS, the operating system at the heart of Valve's Steam Deck, among the Linux systems it hopes to serve. The move arrives with its usual caution, since the new launcher remains in Preview and still ships in only one format. It matters because it suggests that a platform built by a rival may one day carry the libraries of a competitor, and because the path between those two worlds still runs through unresolved questions about anti-cheat and c
Epic Games Names SteamOS Among Planned Linux Targets for Its New Launcher
Steam Deck owners will get the launcher well before they get Fortnite.
Mark
Why does a single name on a list count as news?
Mimi
Because it's the first time Epic has said SteamOS out loud. Jake Jones named it alongside Fedora, Cachy and Omarchy.
Mark
What can someone actually download today?
Mimi
A Preview, and only as a .deb for Debian and Ubuntu. Epic says it's testing other formats and will restore the AppImage this month.
Luke
So nothing runs on SteamOS yet. Is this a promise or a plan?
Mimi
A plan. Epic said it plans to support these distributions, with no dates attached.
Mark
What would Steam Deck owners gain?
Mimi
Possibly an easier path to their Epic libraries without tools like Heroic Games Launcher.
Luke
Possibly is doing a lot there. Epic hasn't said how it will work in Game Mode, and that's how many people use the Deck.
Mark
And Fortnite?
Mimi
It waits on EAC Linux v2, which needs a signed kernel and Secure Boot. Epic said in October that the Deck doesn't support that yet.
Luke
What we know is that Epic is talking with Valve. We don't know whether it gets resolved, or when.
O Pulso
- Epic has named SteamOS as a target for its Linux launcher, the first explicit mention of Valve's operating system.
- The Preview currently ships only as a .deb package, leaving Fedora, Cachy, Omarchy and SteamOS users without a direct install.
- Epic is testing other packaging formats and plans to bring back the AppImage version this month.
- Fortnite on Linux is stalled until EAC Linux v2 is ready, and Epic says the Steam Deck lacks the support it needs.
- Epic is in talks with Valve, so the launcher may reach Steam Deck owners well before Fortnite does.
On the quiet edges of the PC gaming world, a long rivalry between two storefronts has found a small, unexpected point of contact: Epic Games has named SteamOS, the operating system at the heart of Valve's Steam Deck, among the Linux systems it hopes to serve. The move arrives with its usual caution, since the new launcher remains in Preview and still ships in only one format. It matters because it suggests that a platform built by a rival may one day carry the libraries of a competitor, and because the path between those two worlds still runs through unresolved questions about anti-cheat and compatibility.
SteamOS has joined the list of Linux targets Epic Games intends to support. In a statement to GamingOnLinux, Epic communications director Jake Jones said the new Epic Games Launcher, still in Preview, will reach as many Linux distributions as possible, and he named SteamOS alongside Fedora, Cachy, Omarchy and others. It is the first time Epic has spelled out SteamOS by name, which carries weight because SteamOS belongs to Valve, whose Steam storefront is Epic's chief rival on PC.
For now the Preview is narrow. It arrives only as a .deb package, which serves Debian and Ubuntu and little else. Epic says it is testing other formats and will restore the AppImage version this month. The launcher first returned as a plan in August and reached Preview on October 14.
For Steam Deck owners, official support could mean a simpler path into their Epic libraries without third-party tools such as Heroic. Much is still unsettled, though. Epic has not described how the launcher will behave in Game Mode, and Windows games will still need a compatibility layer, which the Preview handles by downloading GE-Proton.
Fortnite is the harder case. It waits on EAC Linux v2, a new anti-cheat that depends on a signed kernel, Secure Boot and other protections. Epic has said the Steam Deck does not yet support what that system requires, and it is talking with Valve about the gap. The likely outcome is a split arrival, with the launcher reaching Steam Deck well before Fortnite does. The next signals to watch are the AppImage's return, any word on Game Mode, and what comes of the Epic and Valve talks.
SteamOS has landed on Epic Games' public list of Linux targets. In a statement to GamingOnLinux, Epic communications director Jake Jones said the new Epic Games Launcher is still in Preview and that the company plans to support as many Linux distributions as possible, naming Fedora, SteamOS, Cachy, Omarchy, and others.
It appears to be the first time Epic has explicitly named SteamOS, the operating system that runs on the Steam Deck and the Steam Machine. That matters because SteamOS belongs to Valve, whose Steam storefront is Epic's main competitor on PC.
For now, the Preview is narrow. It ships only as a .deb package, which suits Debian and Ubuntu and nothing else on that list. Epic says it is testing other packaging formats and will bring back the AppImage version this month.
The timeline is short. Epic first said in August that a native Linux launcher was returning, and the Preview arrived on October 14.
For Steam Deck owners, official support could offer a simpler route into their Epic libraries without third-party tools such as the Heroic Games Launcher. But the picture is incomplete. Epic has not said how the launcher will behave in SteamOS's Game Mode, the console-style interface many Deck owners use. And Windows games will still need a compatibility layer to run. In the current Preview, the launcher handles that by downloading GE-Proton.
Fortnite is the harder case. Epic plans to bring it to Linux through the new launcher, but only once EAC Linux v2, a new version of its anti-cheat, is ready. That system relies on a signed kernel, Secure Boot, and several other security features. In October, Epic said the Steam Deck does not currently support what EAC v2 requires, and that it is talking with Valve about the problem.
The likely result is a split arrival: Steam Deck owners may get the Epic launcher well before they can play Fortnite. The things to watch are the return of the AppImage this month, any word on Game Mode behavior, and the outcome of the Epic and Valve talks.
Citações Notáveis
Epic plans to support as many Linux distributions as possible, including Fedora, SteamOS, Cachy, Omarchy, and more.— Jake Jones, Epic Games communications director, to GamingOnLinux
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