Apex Legends switched its PC anti-cheat from Easy Anti-Cheat to EA Javelin AntiCheat on September 29, 2026. During that rollout, Respawn advised players who could not matchmake—including those seeing “Party Not Ready”—to try launching through Steam. 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 players would receive a game update and then be migrated automatically when they next launched the game. On September 29, the official update confirmed that Javelin was live on PC and asked players to update before their next match. (EA’s September 24 announcement; Apex Legends’ September 29 Steam update.)
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EA said the change gives its anti-cheat team greater visibility into emerging threats and more flexibility to develop detections. That is EA’s explanation for the switch, not independent evidence that cheating declined in Apex after the migration.
Why can’t I matchmake, or what does “Party Not Ready” mean?
On September 29, Respawn said some players were encountering errors during the transition and that the team was working on them. The update specifically included matchmaking failures and “Party Not Ready” messages. It does not establish the cause of every player’s error, how widespread the problem was, or whether the rollout issue remains current.
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For that rollout-day situation, the official advice was to try switching the PC launcher to Steam. Respawn described Steam as offering a smoother experience while the transition was under way; it did not say that changing launchers would fix every matchmaking problem.
Should you switch Apex Legends to Steam?
If you were affected by the September 29, 2026 transition errors, trying Steam was the workaround Respawn recommended. Treat it as a dated suggestion tied to that rollout, not a standing requirement or proof that the EA app or Epic launcher is generally the cause of connection problems.
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The recommendation concerns the launcher used to play on PC. It does not change which operating system Apex supports, and it is not a diagnostic for unrelated connection or account issues.
Does Apex Legends work on Steam Deck?
Steam on a Windows PC and Steam Deck running its default Linux-based SteamOS are different cases. Respawn’s Linux policy says Apex cannot be accessed on Linux, including the Steam Deck’s default environment. The same statement says a handheld can be used if Windows is installed, and that the restriction does not affect Apex played through Steam on Windows. (Respawn’s Linux and anti-cheat statement.)
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Do you need to enable Secure Boot for Apex Javelin AntiCheat?
In its September 24, 2026 announcement about this Apex rollout, EA said players would not need to enable Secure Boot in BIOS at that time. This statement applies to Apex’s announced migration; it does not establish requirements for other EA games or for future changes.
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 announcement said Javelin had prevented “millions of cheating attempts” on titles already using it and maintained an accuracy rate of “over 99%.” Those are EA’s figures for Javelin titles generally—not an Apex-specific result after September 29. The announcement does not define the accuracy measure or specify a measurement period or exact count.
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