Activision has announced that PC players of the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be required to have Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and Windows’ Secure Boot feature enabled to combat cheating. This requirement comes ahead of a “phased rollout” beginning with the fifth season of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, starting Thursday.
During this initial phase, Activision will not enforce or require these settings, using the period to test their implementation and allow players time to comply. In a similar move, EA has also confirmed that PC players participating in the upcoming open beta for Battlefield 6 will need to have Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 enabled. These hardware-level protections are being introduced as a critical component of both companies’ anti-cheat strategies.
While anti-cheat systems often face scrutiny for potential performance impacts or for requiring users to enable specific features, Activision asserts that “TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot will not impact in-game quality.” The company clarified that “These features perform checks during system and game startup but remain inactive while you play.” Activision acknowledges that even with such measures, fully blocking all cheaters remains a challenge.
Beyond the hardware requirements, Activision is also encouraging players to enable two-factor authentication, hinting that this security measure “may become a requirement for all users in the future.” The integration of these security features reflects an escalating effort by game developers to create more secure and fair online gaming environments.
