Can verify some/most games using Easy Anti Cheat and all games using VAC run on Linux, using Proton.
But games using the likes of Vanguard (Riot), Javelin (EA) and Ricochet (Activision) which really mess around with your system on kernel level? Forget about it.
And maybe, just maybe, that's even good. These things are nasty and invasive, and due to how they are designed could be even used for exploits and gain low level access to your system.
It is either run the anti-cheat system or get banned from the game online. You are correct, I shouldn't run a game that requires an anti-cheat system and only run Linux Native games with Proton on Steam.
Its funny how „Games are supposed to be fun“ is also the answer to why there are such sophisticated anti cheat tools needed in the first place. Cheater do lower the fun for other players of course…
I don't think they are needed. Cheaters will always find a way to cheat, giving game developers access to low level kernel features under the guise of anti-cheat is definitely not a trade-off I'd be willing to make. If game makers can't solve a problem with mechanics or moderation, I probably would just not play the game. Most of those issues revolve around MMO things, and could be solved with private lobbies, self-hosting etc - i.e. not playing with randos on the internet.
Vanilla Wine doesn't, but Proton/Proton-GE does. It supports BattlEye, EAC, VAC, and nProtect Gameguard. Maybe a few others I missed out on.
But this means nothing unless game devs/studios actually enable support for it, and unfortunately some companies like Epic and Rockstar just aren't interested in Linux and they just make up blatant lies (like how Rockstar lied that BattlEye doesn't work on Linux, when Valve explicitly said it does, all they need to do is email BattlEye to enable support[1]).
