Summary
EA has confirmed it will be implementing its anti-cheat system intoBattlefield 1in September, but Steam Deck users believe this is the end of the shooter on the handheld platform as EA’s anti-cheat does not support Linux devices. AlthoughBattlefield 1was previously listed as playable on the Steam Deck, its store page has now been adjusted to unsupported due to the upcoming anti-cheat implementation.
WhileBattlefield 1isn’t necessarily considered to be one of thebest games on the Steam Deck, it is one of the most popular entries in the series. On Steam,Battlefield 1has an impressive “very positive” review rating with over 136,000 reviews since its release in 2016. When compared to the series' latest entry,Battlefield 2042,the difference is night and day. The 2021 shooter had a rocky launch and was panned by critics and fans, but it has managed to bring itself back up to a “mixed” review rating with over 212,000 reviews thanks to the help of multiple content updates.
In a newblog poston the EA website, the studio confirmed thatBattlefield 1would be the next title in the critically acclaimed series to transition over to EA’s anti-cheat system, following on fromBattlefield 5’s anti-cheat updatein April. While EA noted that players won’t notice anything different in-game, it does mean thatBattlefield 1will no longer be playable on the Steam Deck, and the community isn’t happy.
Battlefield 1 Will Soon Be Unsupported on Steam Deck
EA’s in-house anti-cheat allows the studio to tackle any PC cheaters to allow for a fair and positive experience when playing multiplayer matches. However, the system is only supported on Windows 10 and 11, which means any devices running Linux will no longer be able to play the popular shooter. While this will also affectPC users who game on Linux, it is Steam Deck owners who appear to be the most cut up about the change.
Over on Reddit, user HoagieThief questioned whether they would be able to refund the shooter as it will no longer be playable on their platform of choice, but another user quickly chimed in and said they attempted to refundBattlefield 5when EA implemented its anti-cheat system back in April, but Valve denied the request multiple times. Plenty of other users praised EA for supporting its older titles but said the studio “sucks” for essentially disregarding an entire player base with the update.
Due to thedisastrous launch ofBattlefield 2042,Battlefield 1still manages to outperform the latest release, despite being eight years old. According toSteamDB,Battlefield 1averages around 15,000 players at peak times, whileBattlefield 2042only pulls in around 10,000 users during the same period. There’s no way to know how many of those players are on Steam Deck, but the shooter’s continued popularity could be seriously affected come September.
Battlefield 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the dawn of all-out war only in Battlefield 1. Fight your way through epic battles ranging from tight urban combat in a besieged French city to the heavily defended mountain forts in the Italian Alps or frantic combats in the deserts of Arabia. Use innovative weaponry and vehicles as you battle across the land, air and sea, and adapt your tactics to earth-shattering destruction.Discover a world at war through an adventure-filled campaign, or join in epic multiplayer clashes with up to 64 players, in the most dynamic battles in Battlefield history.
