Epic Games plans SteamOS and Steam Deck support for its Linux launcher

Epic Games has confirmed plans to officially support SteamOS and Steam Deck through its Linux version of the Epic Games Launcher. Communications Director Jake Jones told GamingOnLinux that the launcher, currently in preview, will also expand support to other Linux distributions, including Fedora, CachyOS, and Omarchy. Epic aims to support as many distributions as possible but has not provided a complete compatibility list or release date.

The company is also testing different installation formats for Linux. Recent preview downloads switched from AppImage to Debian and Ubuntu .deb packages, although Epic plans to restore AppImage downloads later this month.

However, official launcher support does not guarantee that Fortnite will run on Steam Deck. The game requires Easy Anti-Cheat v2 functionality that the device does not currently support. Epic has been discussing the limitation with Valve, but there is no confirmed timeline for a solution. Other games will also remain subject to their individual compatibility requirements.