Valve and Rockstar Collaborate to Resolve GTA Online BattlEye Issues on Steam Deck

On September 17, 2024, Rockstar Games introduced the GTA Online BattlEye update for PC, aiming to enhance protection for players against cheaters and hackers in multiplayer lobbies. However, this update has resulted in the Steam Deck being rendered unsupported for online gameplay. Rockstar Games has advised users to reach out to Valve for any inquiries regarding this situation.

Fortunately, a Reddit user, u/notjordansime, reached out to Valve’s Steam Support on September 18, 2024, and received a response indicating that they are actively collaborating with Rockstar Games to address the problem.

GTA Online May Soon Be Playable on Steam Deck Again Following BattlEye Update

Weather Update: GTA V has been updated to “Unsupported”on the store page (+ potentially hopeful update from Steam support) by u/notjordansime in SteamDeck

As shared by u/notjordansime, they provided a screenshot of their communication with Valve’s Steam Support concerning the status of GTA Online on Steam Deck post-BattlEye Anti-Cheat update, which resulted in a positive reply. Below is what they asked Valve:

“Seeing as parts of the game are not accessible to Steam Deck users, I’m struggling to understand why it has a ‘Playable’ rating.”

They also expressed concerns regarding the “Playable”label, suggesting it is misleading:

“I would argue that the ‘Playable’ tag is somewhat misleading.”

Ultimately, they conveyed their hope that Rockstar would reconsider its decision and restore Steam Deck support for GTA 5, as it remains their primary game on the handheld device.

Here’s how Valve responded to their inquiry:

“I am sorry to hear about the issues that you are experiencing with Grand Theft Auto 5. We understand that it is frustrating for the users who purchased this game; we are currently working with Rockstar Games to find a fix.”

Although this does not assure a solution, it’s reassuring that Valve may be working alongside Rockstar Games to address this issue.

GTA Online BattlEye Anti-Cheat Update: Additional Known Issues

In addition to the incompatibility issues faced by Steam Deck users, here are some other problems associated with the BattlEye system that have been officially recognized by Rockstar Games on their support page:

BattlEye may not function properly on GTA Online if PC players have ReShade or Special_K graphics mods installed.
BattlEye may encounter issues with AVG or Trend Micro antivirus software installed on PC.

It’s important to note that Rockstar Games is actively working to resolve known issues. However, it appears that collaboration with Valve is necessary to rectify the Steam Deck compatibility problem.

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