Key Takeaways
- Respawn Entertainment saw a significant drop in cheating rates in Apex Legends after cutting support for Linux.
- Other anti-cheat measures were instituted at the start of Season 23.
- Respawn is looking to continue to refine its anti-cheat systems as new security threats emerge.
With Season 23 of Apex Legends in full swing, Respawn Entertainment has given an update on anti-cheat efforts. While the work will seemingly never stop to prevent cheaters from ruining the competitive integrity of the battle royale, this latest news was encouraging for the Apex Legends community.
Competitive battle royale games are often a breeding ground for those looking to gain an advantage by nefarious means, and Apex Legends has been no different. However, Respawn has reemphasized its commitment to cracking down on cheaters over the past year, instituting various measures. The developer even cut support for Linux operating systems in Apex Legends to help stem the spread of cheating. While the move cut off some fans’ typical way of playing the game, the developer argued that Linux was a significant vulnerability, providing an avenue for many unsavory characters to sneak through the cracks. Recently, the community received a look at the results of this decision from the developer.
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In a tweet, Respawn provided players with a look at how its anti-cheat efforts were fairing in Season 23 of Apex Legends. According to the developer, things have taken an encouraging turn since the removal of support for Linux systems. This was shown in a graph detailing the weekly infection rate for Apex Legends’ battle royale modes. As illustrated by the sharp decline following the week of October 21, 2024, the game had seen a 33% drop in infection since the start of Season 23 and the removal of Linux systems.
Apex Legends Sees Cheating Decline in Season 23
While Respawn attributed cutting Linux support as a primary reason for the cheating decline, it noted that other anti-cheat initiatives had been used since the start of Season 23 of Apex Legends. Understandably, the developer did not divulge details about these new systems, but many fans found the update encouraging. Some Twitter users in the replies provided their own anecdotal evidence of the decline, stating they had encountered fewer cheaters lately.
It is worth noting that the graph did see a slight uptick in infection rates over the last few weeks. When concluding its post, the developer acknowledged that security risks to Apex Legends were “always evolving.” However, Respawn said it looked to continue to refine its anti-cheat systems for Apex Legends to combat these threats in the coming days.
It remains to be seen if this reduction in infection rate for the battle royale modes in Apex Legends will be enough to get more players to return to the title. The average player count for Apex Legends has dropped substantially on Steam from where it was a few years ago, with cheating issues likely playing a part. Hopefully, Respawn can continue to make improvements on the anti-cheat front to make the game as fair as possible for those still playing.
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