Breakdown
- Battlefield V is getting the EA Anticheat soon, making it unplayable on Steam Deck and Linux
- EA's Anticheat has made several of their multiplayer games unplayable in the past
- Many hope that Apex Legends doesn't suffer a similar fate
Battlefield V was one of the more mixed entries in the franchise, though most fans seem to have grown more fond of it after 2042 came out. The game has been enjoyed by many, especially on Steam Deck, though EA is going to put a stop to that by adding the dreaded EA Anticheat soon.
According to the official Battlefield Twitter account, the EA Anticheat will be added next week, on April 3. While this should be fine for some gaming PCs, the EA Anticheat means this game will no longer be playable on Steam Deck, at least without compromise.
It is concerning to see EA do this since Battlefield V still has a strong player base and many do enjoy playing the shooter on Valve’s handheld. This powerful handheld PC has been the go-to for many when it comes to portable multiplayer entertainment, so seeing those options get more limited is depressing.
What makes this extra disappointing is that EA didn’t have to do this, since this is a fairly old entry of the series. Although there is a concern amongst companies when it comes to cheaters and hackers, removing the option to play it on Deck is pretty annoying. That’s a good portion of the player base gone and it will take some adjusting to get them back.
Even if EA isn’t aware of the fanbase of Battlefield V, the company does know that fans enjoy playing their games on the Steam Deck. After all, the critically acclaimed Apex Legends is a Deck Verified game, meaning it can be played without any adjustments. Hopefully, the company removes the anticheat in the future, especially since fans are really enjoying the shooter on Valve’s handheld.
Battlefield V was released back in 2018 after the success of Battlefield 1, though it wasn’t as successful. In time, players came to enjoy the shooter for what it was, especially when compared to the disastrous Battlefield 2042. Fans can pick up both games now, though they should probably avoid the Steam version for now.