Epic Games Store Will Ship on SteamOS, Valve's Own Platform

Epic Games plans to bring its rebuilt Epic Games Launcher to SteamOS, placing its PC game store natively on the Linux-based operating system that Valve ships with the Steam Deck and the new Steam Machine. The announcement came without a release date.

"We plan to support as many Linux distributions as possible, including Fedora, SteamOS, Cachy, Omarchy, and more," Epic communications director Jake Jones told GamingOnLinux in comments published Nov. 6. The statement confirms SteamOS, which Valve uses on its own hardware, as a target platform for a direct Steam competitor.

The move is commercial before it is technical. Valve sells the Steam Deck and the Steam Machine to run Steam, its own store. An Epic launcher on SteamOS would put a rival storefront inside that ecosystem by default rather than through workarounds.

What can SteamOS users do today?

SteamOS users can already reach Epic's game library through community tools such as Heroic Games Launcher. Epic does not make that software. Native support would make the store an official option.

Epic released a preview of its rebuilt launcher in October. It covers Windows, macOS and Linux, with a native Linux version included. The preview officially supports Ubuntu and Debian. Epic's FAQ lists Fedora as coming soon.

The Linux client handles Windows-only games through a compatibility layer. On first use, it downloads a GE-Proton runtime, according to testing by GamingOnLinux. Jones said Epic is still testing packaging formats. The company switched the preview from AppImage to a Debian package, and Jones said an AppImage download will return this month.

When will Fortnite come to Linux?

Fortnite is the bigger prize. It is also further off.

Epic is rebuilding its anti-cheat system as EAC Linux v2. The new version relies on signed kernels, signed kernel modules, and secure boot with attestation. Epic says it will bring Fortnite to Linux once the system works with "a critical mass of distro maintainers."

The Steam Deck currently blocks that path. Epic said in October that the handheld does not support the features EAC v2 requires. The company said it is talking with Valve about the gap. That detail matters: Fortnite on SteamOS depends on Valve changing its platform, not just on Epic finishing its launcher.

How does Valve's hardware expansion change the picture?

Valve's SteamOS footprint is growing beyond the handheld. Valve set a June 30 launch for the Steam Machine, a compact PC running SteamOS 3, with prices starting at $1,049. Buyers are picked at random from a reservation queue, a distribution method that signals demand beyond supply.

A larger SteamOS install base raises the value of Epic's port. Every Steam Machine sold is a potential storefront customer for Epic, provided the launcher ships.

Two smaller Valve items round out the timeline. The Steam Deck store page briefly vanished on Nov. 3. Valve also says Steam game reviews now take up to 12 business days.

Epic has named the distributions, shipped a preview, and committed to an AppImage return this month. The unresolved variables are timing, Fortnite's anti-cheat dependency, and whether Valve adapts SteamOS to support EAC v2.