Epic Games is preparing to bring its own launcher to Valve’s platform. The company has confirmed that the new Linux version of the Epic Games Launcher, which is still in preview, will support SteamOS, the operating system on the Steam Deck.
SteamOS is part of a wider list. Epic communications director Jake Jones said the goal is to support as many Linux distributions as possible, naming Fedora, CachyOS and Omarchy alongside SteamOS. The comment came after users noticed the preview had switched from an AppImage to Debian and Ubuntu .deb packages, which would have made installing it on other distributions harder. Epic says it is still testing packaging formats and plans to bring back the AppImage this month.
That matters more than it may seem. SteamOS uses a read-only system partition, which makes conventional package installs difficult, so a portable format such as AppImage is the easiest route for most users. Until now, Steam Deck owners wanting their Epic library have relied on community tools such as Heroic Games Launcher or on adding the Windows launcher through Proton. An official native client would remove much of that workaround, provided Epic delivers it properly.
The biggest question is Fortnite. Last month, Epic said it was looking into making Fortnite work on SteamOS, but the main barrier hasn’t changed. Fortnite relies on Easy Anti-Cheat, and Epic has said the Steam Deck doesn’t support the features needed for the newer EAC v2 system on Linux. Epic says it is talking with Valve and hopes to support it eventually, but has given no timeline. The launcher arriving on SteamOS doesn’t mean Fortnite will follow.
Epic’s position has shifted noticeably. For years, the company argued that Linux was too small and too difficult to secure against cheaters to justify official support for its biggest game. The Steam Deck’s success, along with Valve’s plan to bring SteamOS to more hardware, has made Linux gaming a large enough audience that Epic now seems more willing to engage with it.
There is also a competitive angle. Epic has spent years trying to win PC players away from Steam, and offering a native launcher on Valve’s own operating system is a way to make its store more convenient for people who already game there. Free weekly games are a strong incentive, but they matter less when installing the store itself is awkward.
Whether this becomes a fully supported part of the Steam Deck experience or remains a preview with ongoing limitations will likely depend on the anti-cheat issue.