Steam Deck users running its native operating system (SteamOS) will lose access to For Honor when Ranked Season 0 launches on September 10. The same can be said for Valve’s new Steam Machine, as the cubed mini PC also ships with SteamOS by default. The lack of a Linux-friendly anti-cheat is the reason why, but the devs say they’re open to reopening support in the future.

Despite being out for nine and a half years, Ubisoft’s multiplayer melee action fighting game blend, For Honor, is finally getting a ‘Season 0’ on September 10 for its ranked game modes. The 1v1 Ranked Duel mode has famously been in beta for its entire existence, and it is finally being joined by Ranked Dominion, the game’s most popular mode, played in a 4v4 format.

No more Linux support in For Honor on September 10

To reinforce a fair competitive environment, the team is introducing additional player safety measures. We are removing For Honor from the Linux platform to ensure a safer environment for our players as we cannot meaningfully deploy protection on this platform. This means that For Honor will no longer be playable on Steam Deck starting September 10th. We will continue to investigate different ways to improve our anti-cheat with the possibility of reopening the platform in the future.

Source: Ubisoft

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen game developers removing Linux support in order to maintain competitive integrity. Apex Legends is another notable title to do so, with developers Respawn Entertainment going on to say the restriction led to a “meaningful reduction” in cheaters.

With the launch of Ranked Dominion to join Ranked Duel, For Honor’s ranked mode is finally out of its beta stage. Dominion will feature 10 maps within its ranked mode, with seven different ranks available, from Bronze to Grandmaster.

Ubisoft says it “will continue to investigate different ways to improve our anti-cheat with the possibility of reopening the platform in the future”.

It’s worth pointing out that For Honor uses Epic Games’ Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) for its multiplayer servers. A recent job listing at Epic Games was seeking someone to “Champion” a Linux-friendly anti-cheat, so the company is definitely working on something. Likewise, the Epic Games Store will “soon” be getting an official Linux version – but no confirmed timeline just yet.

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Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.