According to Levvvel's list of kernel-level anti-cheat games, many modern games use kernel-level anti cheat. One provider of kernel-level anti-cheat is Epic with Easy Anti-Cheat and one game using that is Apex Legends which is available on Steam.
How do games like Apex Legends install the kernel module required for anti-cheat? It seems many of these games are quickly coming over to Linux thanks to these anti-cheat technologies supporting the platform.
- First, are these anti-cheat technologies for Linux really kernel-level, or is this just a mass freak out? Do anti-cheat vendors accept lesser protection on Linux then on Windows?
- For Steam-installed games, what installs anti-cheat kernel modules in Linux? Steam or the game itself?
- Does either Steam or the Game compile and host these kernel modules for all kernels distributed on all supported platforms and architectures? There are build solutions now that would rather easily support this (OBS or Koji for example), so it doesn't sound hard.
- What happens if you run Steam as non-root or otherwise a containerized or flatpacked instance? Does the game work, and just the anti-cheat fails?
