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Apex Legends moved its PC anti-cheat from Easy Anti-Cheat to EA Javelin AntiCheat on September 29, 2026. On rollout day, Respawn said some players were having transition errors and recommended trying Steam if matchmaking failed, including with a “Party Not Ready” message. That was dated troubleshooting advice—not a guaranteed fix or a requirement to change launchers.
What changed in Apex Legends on September 29?
EA announced on September 24, 2026 that Apex Legends on PC would move from Easy Anti-Cheat to EA Javelin AntiCheat on September 29. EA said a game update would prompt players to download an update; after it completed, launching Apex would automatically migrate the game to Javelin. No separate manual anti-cheat installation step was described. EA’s September 24 announcement
On September 29, the official Apex update said Javelin was live on PC, asked players to update before their next match, and acknowledged that some players were seeing errors during the transition. The team said it was working on those issues. Apex Legends’ September 29 update
EA said the change was intended to give its anti-cheat team greater visibility into emerging threats and more flexibility to develop detections. That is EA’s stated rationale; it does not establish that cheating decreased in Apex after the migration.
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- Welcome to APEX Legends - Master a growing roster of powerful legends, each with their own personality, strengths and abilities that are easy to pick up but challenging to truly master
- This is a special edition game that comes with:
- Legendary guardian angel Lifeline skin
- Legendary chooser of the slain Flatline skin
- Winged guardian banner
Should you switch Apex Legends to Steam?
If you encountered a matchmaking failure during the September 29 transition, including “Party Not Ready,” Respawn recommended trying the Steam launcher for a smoother experience while the issue was being investigated. This was a recommendation tied to rollout-day errors, not proof that Steam fixes every matchmaking problem or a permanent preference for Steam over the EA app or Epic Games Store.
The update does not establish whether those specific transition errors remain prevalent or have since been resolved. If you are troubleshooting now, treat the Steam suggestion as dated guidance rather than a diagnosis: the launcher alone may not explain a connection or matchmaking failure.
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- Bloodhound Edition Includes:
- Legendary "The Intimidator" Bloodhound skin and "Wrath Bringer" Prowler weapon skin.
- Exclusive "Feeling Impish" banner.
- Exclusive "Tormentor" badge.
- 1,000 Apex Coins
Does switching to Steam let you play Apex on Steam Deck?
No, not if the Steam Deck is running its default Linux-based SteamOS. Respawn’s Linux policy says Apex cannot be accessed from Linux, including the Steam Deck’s default environment. The policy does not block playing Apex through Steam on a Windows PC; Respawn said a handheld could be used if Windows was installed. Respawn’s Linux and anti-cheat statement
“Use Steam” in the September 29 matchmaking update refers to changing the PC game launcher. It does not mean that the Linux version of Steam Deck is supported.
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- COSMETIC CUSTOMIZATION — Use Apex Coins to purchase character and weapon cosmetic items directly from the in-game store, including skins and visual upgrades.
- APEX PACKS ACCESS — Spend Apex Coins on cosmetic Apex Packs to unlock a variety of cosmetic rewards and personalization options.
- UNLOCK NEW LEGENDS — Use Apex Coins to unlock new playable characters through the in-game store and expand your roster of Legends.
Did Apex require Secure Boot for Javelin?
No. In its September 24, 2026 announcement, EA said Apex players would not need to enable Secure Boot in BIOS for this rollout at that time. This statement applies to Apex’s Javelin migration described in that announcement; it should not be generalized to other EA games or future requirements. EA’s September 24 announcement
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did EA say about Javelin’s performance?
EA’s September 24, 2026 announcement said that across titles already using Javelin, the system had prevented “millions of cheating attempts” while maintaining an accuracy rate of “over 99%.” Those are EA’s broad claims about Javelin on its titles generally—not Apex-specific results after the September 29 switch. The announcement did not provide a precise count, measurement period, or definition of accuracy.
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- COSMETIC CUSTOMIZATION — Use Apex Coins to purchase character and weapon cosmetic items directly from the in-game store, including skins and visual upgrades.
- APEX PACKS ACCESS — Spend Apex Coins on cosmetic Apex Packs to unlock a variety of cosmetic rewards and personalization options.
- UNLOCK NEW LEGENDS — Use Apex Coins to unlock new playable characters through the in-game store and expand your roster of Legends.
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- COSMETIC CUSTOMIZATION — Use Apex Coins to purchase character and weapon cosmetic items directly from the in-game store, including skins and visual upgrades.
- APEX PACKS ACCESS — Spend Apex Coins on cosmetic Apex Packs to unlock a variety of cosmetic rewards and personalization options.
- UNLOCK NEW LEGENDS — Use Apex Coins to unlock new playable characters through the in-game store and expand your roster of Legends.
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