Epic Games has confirmed that the new Epic Games Launcher, still in Preview, will have planned support for SteamOS and other Linux distributions beyond those already supported (Ubuntu and Debian). The information came from the company's Communications Director Jake Jones in a statement to GamingOnLinux.
“The new Epic Games Launcher is still in Preview and we plan to support as many Linux distributions as possible, including Fedora, SteamOS, Cachy, Omarchy, and more. We’re testing and evaluating packaging formats for distribution, and we’ll restore AppImage this month.”
The redesigned launcher Preview arrived on October 14, 2026 for Windows, macOS and Linux, focusing on startup performance, navigation and lower resource usage. SteamOS inclusion is relevant because Valve’s operating system powers the Steam Deck and Steam Machine. With official support, users will be able to access their Epic libraries without relying exclusively on third-party clients such as the Heroic Games Launcher.
Limitations and anti-cheat
Despite the launcher support confirmation, Epic has not yet detailed how game installation and launching will work on SteamOS, nor whether there will be a handheld-optimized interface. In addition, anti-cheat protected games such as Fortnite are not guaranteed.
The company is developing Easy Anti-Cheat Linux v2 and is working with distro maintainers and Valve. The Steam Deck currently does not support all requirements of the new anti-cheat implementation, although Epic says it is in talks with Valve on the matter. Launcher support on SteamOS does not automatically mean Fortnite or other EAC titles will run on the Deck.
Meanwhile, Epic plans to restore the AppImage format in November after temporarily switching to .deb packages. Support for more distros is still under packaging format evaluation.
Sources: GamingOnLinux, VideoCardz.
This article was produced with artificial intelligence assistance and editorially reviewed.
Por Grok
