Epic's Linux anti-cheat wants TPM 2.0 and a stack of settings, and you can check your own PC in about five minutes

Published Oct 30, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. When Windows 11 arrived on the block, people running Windows 10 with older hardware hit a brick wall. Windows 11 requires a CPU with TPM 2.0, and if yours didn't have it, you had to perform workarounds just to get it installed. The alternative was to move to Linux, where TPM 1.2 chips were supported, and still are. Unfortunately, it appears even Linux isn't totally free from TPM shenanigans. If you love competitive gaming, Epic Games' Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) version 2 will require you to have a TPM 2.0 chip to play its games. Epic Games' Easy Anti-Cheat didn't play nicely with Linux at all... It was causing some real issues for Linux gamers Sources: Steam and Epic Games Before we hop into what EAC v2 brings, we have to take a look at the first version. EAC is a kernel-level anti-cheat that Epic Games uses to ensure people don't cheat in its popular online games, like Fortnite. Deploying kernel-level anti-cheat is just fine when the kernel in question is locked down and proprietary, like Windows'. It's not so great when using it on an OS where the kernel is open-source, and anyone can tinker with it, like Linux's. EAC’s relationship with Linux has been pretty rough. Epic didn't completely ignore it; after all, we saw native support arrive in 2014, and Proton/Wine compatibility in 2021. But because these ran in the user space and weren't locked-down kernel drivers, Epic made them optional. Unsurprisingly, most developers took the simplest route to prevent Linux-based cheaters: saying no to Linux entirely. When you're trying to run a competitive multiplayer online game, ruining its reputation just so a smattering of players on CachyOS can play is more trouble than it's worth, which is why even Epic kept Fortnite off Linux. Well, the good news is, Epic Games found a way to include Linux, but people with older hardware won't be too fond of it. ...but v2 will allow some Linux gamers in if they have the hardware Better than nothing, I suppose Source: unsplash On October 14th, Epic Games posted a blog detailing its plans for Linux. It'll release what it calls EAC Linux v2, and the objective is to bring "the level of protection much closer to par with Windows, in the very near term." To do this, it will use existing Linux features to get the job done. While it won't use a kernel module like Windows, it will need a laundry list of hardware. For starters, you need to be using a distro with a signed kernel. Your PC needs Secure Boot enabled, and your boot loader needs to have Measured Boot. You also need IOMMU, Kernel Lockdown Integrity Mode, and the Linux Security Module BPF all enabled, and Kexec, a feature that lets you load a new kernel without rebooting, must be disabled. However, one entry on the list will bring back bad Windows 11 memories: TPM 2.0 is standard on modern consumer hardware, and software support is built into the Linux kernel. We require that systems have TPM 2.0 support and that it is enabled in the BIOS. Epic Games cites TPM 2.0's technologies like Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs) as the reason why it's demanding it, claiming it allows for a "tamper-resistant boot log to be produced and verified." This should allow EAC Linux v2 to look at what code ran during boot without needing to actually run at boot. However, it does mean that TPM 1.2 users are left behind. There is some good news, such as EAC Linux v2 being a systemd service that only loads when a protected game boots up and closes when it's finished. But it's not ideal for anyone who uses Linux because of its older hardware compatibility. One could argue that someone with a PC that fails these tests probably isn't playing competitive games anyway, but it is confirmed in the blog post's FAQ section that the Steam Deck is still left high and dry for compatibility. Giving your Linux a quick check-up is simple You just need to run a few commands To see whether your Linux PC fits the bill, run these quick commands. They'll let you know if your PC passes at least five of the eight requirements: Secure Boot: mokutil --sb-state should say it's enabled. TPM 2.0: cat /sys/class/tpm/tpm0/tpm_version_major reporting a "2" means you have TPM 2.0. A "1" means you're on TPM 1.2. Kernel Lockdown: cat /sys/kernel/security/lockdown must show [integrity]for it to be valid. BPF LSM: cat /sys/kernel/security/lsm must include bpfto prove compatibility. Kexec: cat /proc/sys/kernel/kexec_load_disabled must output 1. Gaming on Linux is getting easier, for some All things considered, I'm grateful Epic Games is doing something to allow more Linux gamers to play online. I just wish it didn't have to include the shadow of Windows 11's system requirements.