Gaming on Linux has been progressing rather well these past few years, with many single-player games for Windows being compatible with Linux-based operating systems thanks to compatibility layers like Wine and Proton.
There are many supported multiplayer games too, but the ones with anti-cheat usually outright ban players for the transgression of using any other operating system than Windows.
Sadly, another title has joined the list of games that are not anti-cheat-friendly with Linux-based operating systems. This time, it's Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), one of the most popular video games of all time.
Grand Theft Auto V Anti-Cheat Destroys Linux Support
In a sneaky move, Rockstar Games, the developers of GTA V added an anti-cheat solution called BattlEye to tackle the issue of cheaters in their game. There was no announcement of any sort, and people around the world just received a new update with a very brief patch note titled “GTAV Title Update 1.69”.
In that note, they point out that:
Steam Deck does not support BattlEye for GTA Online. You will be able to play GTAV Story Mode but unable to play GTA Online.
The FAQ page for GTA Online BattlEye also mentions the same.
Setting aside the fact that the Steam Deck does support BattlEye, the introduction of an anti-cheat solution has effectively broken support for all Linux users on GTA Online, the multiplayer mode of GTA V.
Now, whenever a Linux user tries to get into a multiplayer session of GTA, they will be promptly booted out with the following message:
You were kicked from the session by BattlEye.
Please return to Grand Theft Auto V.
I came to know about this bizarre move by Rockstar Games on Reddit, where ponyaqua, a member of the linux_gaming Subreddit, posted their plight, titled, “Linux users now can't play GTA 5 Online”.
As expected, the reaction from other community members was filled with expletives, declarations of boycott, and what not; one particularly jaded user commented this:
Rockstar f*** you!
That just about sums up the feelings of the gaming community on Linux regarding this situation. 🙂
Not to forget, all these users want to get a refund for their purchases as well.
Rockstar Games, Do Better!
I booted up the GTA V installation on my Windows machine, and lo and behold, there's BattlEye, forcing me to install it and accept its terms. If I didn't, it wouldn't let me launch the game.
I know that the cheater problem in GTA Online is a huge issue, but a big game studio like Rockstar Games could have done better instead of offloading the obligation onto Valve to solve the compatibility issues with Steam Deck.
It's Rockstar's responsibility to do so!
We know that Rockstar Games could easily dedicate a few people to work on providing support for Linux. BattlEye already supports it, and so does Proton (both since 2021), so what gives? 😑
What about other Linux users who paid for the game to play GTA Online with their friends? Isn't it unfair to them?
If I had to speculate, then there's only one word for it: “ignorance”. Many of these big-shot game developers don't treat Linux as an equal platform to Windows, and that shows.
Even Electronic Arts, another major game developer/publisher, has broken support for Linux on a wide range of their games after introducing its in-house anti-cheat solution, with the most recent one being Battlefield 1.
As for how effective GTA V's anti-cheat solution might be, I will say this:
I have spent over 3,000 hours in Rainbow Six Siege, which uses BattlEye in combination with another anti-cheat solution, and trust me when I say that the cheater problem is still prevalent.
💬 What about you? Have anti-cheat solutions affected your multiplayer gaming experience on Linux? Let me know below.
Suggested Read 📖
Abhishek Prakash
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