Abbreviations:
Easy Anti Cheat = EAC
EA Javelin Anti cheat= EAJ
Twitter post by RESPAWN = TR
--The date they banned Linux + implemented new "additional defensive measures" will be referenced as, "Date of Ban" = DoB
-Linux users = Lu
-Linux users that played Apex = LuA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction

Banning Linux was a PR move. I also think it was done to smooth their transition to their EAJ. By falsely claiming that Lu were ravishing their game they created the correct atmosphere to ban Lu, and switch to EAJ: a kernel level anti cheat. This post will prove that Lu did not contribute to the high rate of cheaters in a game at all.

(Easy Anti Cheat to EA Javelin Anticheat --> more ab this at end)

(if you do not care just start reading at "5" or "6" and come back up if you want. I believe that holds my biggest point)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"But cheating dropped by 33% after they banned Linux!"

You are referencing this post on twitter by RESPAWN:
https://x.com/Respawn/status/1865148176275247312
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
They reference banning Linux and implementing new "additional defensive measures" which resulted in a 33% decrease of cheaters in games.

6 things I have to say about this:


1. The chart they show does not show a number for how many cheaters were banned, just a graph with a line going down and a percentage. -> "Trust me bro it decreased by that much."

2. The graph was declining before the DoB. -> To argue that it was the ban of Lu that contributed to the decrease is dishonest. -> Something else caused the decrease.

3. Could just as well be the "additional defensive measures" that contributed to the decrease as well.

4. The graph of cheaters in matches began to rise shortly after this -> the cheaters on windows adapt to said, "additional defensive measures," and the problem was not Linux.

5. Lu made up 1.87% of Steam users in September (month before DoB), and there were an avg of 84,347 Apex players in October (DoB was October 28). Assuming that 1.87% of that pie consisted of Lu, that means 1,577 of 84,347 total avg Apex players of October were Lu. Using the number of peak concurrent users that October (185,491) with the same % brings it up to 3,469 LuA.


5. TLDR/Main point
Did 1,577 Lu really account for 33% of cheaters? Or enough of a chunk at all to warrant a ban?

Something to note about 5:
I used a percentage of all Lu that are on steam and applied it to total number of players on Apex (Steam). The number 1,577 assumes that Lu play Apex at the same rate as the average Steam user. It would not be dishonest then, to say a better representation for the avg amount of LuA of October the DoB, is, less than or equal to 1,577. How much less? (This paragraph in development: just know that Lu play fps competitive at a much lower rate than average Steam users, so the number 1,577 is likely more than the actual Lua is)



Sources for 5:
Linux users in Sept: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Survey-September-2024
avg users in Oct (scroll for oct): https://steambase.io/games/apex-legends/steam-charts
Math:
1.87% of 84,347 = 1,577.2889
1.87% of 185,491 = 3,468.6817

6.
Something I found while researching this:
The graph in the TR which mentions a 33% decrease in "Weekly Match Infection Rate in BR Modes." But I found an official graph that shows data of cheaters before and after that ban, still no numbers, just percent. And yes, by the same metric.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE THIS GRAPH SHOWS ONLY RANKED BR! NOT ALL BR MODES LIKE THE TR DID! https://www.reddit.com/r/apexlegends/comments/1l2hjkx/apex_legends_anticheat_update_20250603/

But it is important to note that after the Linux ban and "additional defensive measures," this graph also shows a dramatic decrease, just like the TR. In this one, however, it shows that after the ban, the PERCENTAGE JUMPS RIGHT BACK UP!

Business as usual after that lololol. Even after the horrible Linux demons were extinguished, evil prevails!
---------------------------------------------------------------------


Conclusion I drew based on evidence:

Banning Linux was a publicity stunt to wash their hands of their reputation of cheater filled lobbies and start anew. Or in other words, to show their players, "look it was their fault not ours that there were so many cheaters!" Although, with how many announcements I see about cheaters, it does not seem to have worked.

Why have they not shown metrics in all BR modes? That way, they could admit, "Although in ranked BR modes the percentage of cheaters jumped back up," but then counterargue with, "The total number of cheaters across the board went down!" I'd love to see a graph of cheater rates in all BR modes, during and after the ban; but I think they do not show that intentionally, as to not reveal that the percentage did not change much, if not at all.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
EA Javelin Anticheat:
Linux is currently not supported on Javelin, but they were looking for an "Anti-Cheat Engineer, ARM64." I use the word, "were" because they are no longer accepting applications for said position. However it important to note, that one of the responsibilities this worker is assigned is:

"You will design solutions for new security threats on ARM and chart future support for additional OS and hardware."

What can we gather from this? EA is looking into incorporating other OS support: Linux (and yeah its a kernel).


https://jobs.ea.com/en_US/careers/JobDetail/Senior-Anti-Cheat-Engineer-ARM64/212781
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Why am I doing this?

I really like Linux and people parroting, "Linux is the root of all cheaters!" made me want to know: why? Is Linux really a great source of cheaters on Apex? I found it wasn't.

I know I am lacking in my writing here - like not adding bold text or anything like that - but, I hope you'll care enough to add feedback: what'd I miss? what do you think? And thanks for reading what you did.
(I'm gonna come back every now an then when I want to refine this)