Earlier this year, Epic Games revealed that it was working with Qualcomm to bring Epic Online Services Anti-Cheat—better known as Easy Anti-Cheat—to Windows on ARM devices running Snapdragon processors. This development is a game-changer, as the lack of robust anti-cheat tools has long been a barrier preventing many multiplayer games from running reliably on ARM-based systems.
Now, Epic has officially rolled out a new SDK—Epic Online Services SDK version 1.17.1.3-CL44532354 (released August 12, 2025)—that adds native Anti-Cheat support for Windows on ARM. This update makes it significantly easier for developers to integrate anti-cheat mechanisms into their games, ensuring a safer and fairer online experience for players.
Epic has also provided clear implementation guidelines for developers. First, they need to update the anti-cheat bootstrapper file (start_protected_game.exe) to the latest release. Next, they must use the Anti-Cheat client module compatible with Windows on ARM. Both components are included in the latest EOS SDK package.
This addition is especially significant for high-profile titles like Fortnite, which relies heavily on Easy Anti-Cheat to block cheating and maintain competitive integrity. With this update, players can expect Fortnite—and other major PC games—to arrive on Windows on ARM as early as this year.
In announcing the new feature, Epic emphasized that testing Anti-Cheat on Snapdragon-powered Windows devices with Fortnite will help streamline deployment for other games. The company expressed its goal of bringing favorite titles to gamers on next-generation Windows devices running the Snapdragon X Series.
This milestone is a big deal for gaming on Windows on ARM. For years, the platform has struggled with limited support for critical tools and services, especially in the realm of online anti-cheat systems. Removing this technical roadblock effectively throws open the doors for developers to tap into a new and growing market.
Qualcomm, for its part, is expected to debut its next-generation Snapdragon X processors at the Snapdragon Summit next month. The new chips are anticipated to deliver major gains in performance and power efficiency, making ARM devices more “game-ready” than ever before. Pairing powerful hardware with optimized software could make Windows on ARM a true competitor to traditional x86-based gaming PCs.
With Epic and Qualcomm joining forces, the future of multiplayer gaming on ARM looks closer than ever. Gamers can look forward to a richer ecosystem where favorite titles not only run smoothly but also maintain fairness through robust anti-cheat protections. For developers, this means less time and effort spent rewriting code for compatibility, thanks to native ARM support.
From a market perspective, this is a critical step in positioning Windows on ARM as a serious option for gamers. Until recently, ARM devices were often seen as suitable only for office work, light entertainment, or education. But with the arrival of Anti-Cheat support and the launch of the Snapdragon X Series, the platform’s gaming potential has expanded dramatically.
Epic Games has long been known not just as the developer of Fortnite, but also as a major provider of tools for the entire gaming industry through Unreal Engine and its online services. This latest expansion of Windows on ARM support reflects a long-term strategy: to create an open, diverse, and accessible platform for all gamers—not just a select group.
For Qualcomm, partnering with Epic reinforces its position in the mobile PC market. The Snapdragon X Series—designed for both performance and battery life—combined with software-level enhancements like Anti-Cheat, positions the company to compete directly with x86-based rivals.
Ultimately, this EOS SDK update isn’t just good news for the Fortnite community—it could be the beginning of a new era where Windows on ARM steps out from the sidelines to become a legitimate, high-performance gaming platform offering smooth, fair, and future-ready experiences.