Steam Deck owners and Valve hardware users finally have official confirmation regarding software compatibility from Epic Games. On November 9, 2026, Epic Games...
Valve’s handheld operating system joins Fedora and other Linux distributions on the official roadmap for the redesigned Epic Games Launcher.
SteamOS Officially Added to the Linux Roadmap
Steam Deck owners and Valve hardware users finally have official confirmation regarding software compatibility from Epic Games. On November 9, 2026, Epic Games Communications Director Jake Jones confirmed that SteamOS is actively included in the distribution targets for the company’s new, rebuilding Epic Games Launcher.
Back in August, Epic announced that a native Linux launcher was in development, followed by a preview release on October 14. During that initial window, the launcher was distributed solely as a .deb package intended for Debian and Ubuntu installations, while the company stated it was “investigating” ways to bring Fortnite compatibility to Valve’s Linux ecosystem. At that time, SteamOS was not explicitly named on the list of supported platforms.
That changes with the latest confirmation from leadership. Alongside SteamOS, Epic plans to support Fedora, Cachy, and Omarchy, among other distributions.
What Is Confirmed and What Remains Unconfirmed
The current Epic Games Launcher preview is restricted to a .deb package format, though Epic has stated it is actively testing alternative packaging options. The company intends to reintroduce an AppImage version sometime this month.
Pricing and version numbers for the final, stable release are not in the sources. Whether Fortnite or other specific titles will achieve full out-of-the-box compatibility on SteamOS alongside the launcher’s release remains unconfirmed beyond Epic’s prior statements about investigating support.
What Tech Consumers and Developers Should Watch Next
Users running SteamOS on the Steam Deck or custom hardware should monitor the rollout of packaging formats beyond Debian and Ubuntu .deb files. Because Epic is actively testing alternative formats and planning to bring back the AppImage version during the month of November, a wider testing net for SteamOS and other named distributions like Fedora and Cachy is expected. Developers and Linux users should watch for official updates regarding when the preview expands beyond its current Debian-centric package.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Which Linux distributions does Epic Games plan to support?
Epic plans to support as many Linux distributions as possible, including SteamOS, Fedora, Cachy, and Omarchy.
Q2: What package format is currently available for the Epic Games Launcher preview?
The preview currently ships as a .deb package for Debian and Ubuntu, though Epic is testing other formats and bringing back the AppImage version this month.