Epic has named SteamOS as one of the systems its new launcher will support, the first time it has said so outright. That puts an official Epic client on the road to Steam Deck and Steam Machine, so Heroic would no longer be the only way in. Fortnite is a different story: Epic's own anti-cheat FAQ says the Steam Deck lacks what the new Linux version needs.
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What Epic actually said
The new Epic Games Launcher went into public Preview on 14 October for Windows, macOS and, for the first time, Linux. Officially supported are Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer and Debian 12 or newer, with Fedora "coming soon". The Linux build first shipped as an AppImage, which was later swapped for a .deb package.
On 6 November GamingOnLinux asked about other distributions, and Epic's communications director Jake Jones replied:
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.
Jake Jones, Epic Games, to GamingOnLinuxNo date, and no word on how it would land on SteamOS. A Flatpak in Discover would be the painless route in Desktop Mode, but Epic hasn't mentioned that format.
Why Fortnite still won't run on Steam Deck
On Linux the launcher runs Windows games through a compatibility layer: GamingOnLinux found it downloads GE-Proton the first time you start one. Fine for single-player. Fortnite needs anti-cheat, and that is where it stops.
Epic is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat for Linux as EAC Linux v2, which relies on a signed kernel, signed kernel modules and Secure Boot with attestation. Fortnite gets it first, other developers later. The FAQ for that work answers the Steam Deck question plainly: the Deck doesn't support the required features, and Epic is talking to Valve and hopes to support it in the future. So the launcher is heading to the Deck, Fortnite isn't. Not yet.
The chart uses Epic's own numbers. On Windows the new launcher reaches the store from a cold start in 5.47 seconds against 10.07 for Steam, measured by Keywords Studios on 13 PCs and paid for by Epic. Treat it as marketing until someone independent tests it, and note there are no Linux figures at all. For now I'd keep Heroic Games Launcher on the Deck and watch how Epic handles Fedora, which is promised first.
Sources
GamingOnLinux: Epic Games comments on planned Linux distribution support (6 November 2026, Jake Jones quote).
Epic Games Store: The new Epic Games Launcher is finally here in Preview (14 October 2026; speed figures from Keywords Studios tests commissioned by Epic).
Epic Games Launcher: FAQ, Linux support (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora coming soon).
Epic Online Services: Introducing Easy Anti-Cheat Linux v2 (requirements and the Steam Deck answer).
GamingOnLinux: Epic Games Launcher preview arrives (14 October 2026, GE-Proton inside the client).
Launcher screenshots: launcher.epicgames.com and the Epic Games Store blog.
