Call of Duty, the globally renowned first-person shooter franchise, is introducing significant changes to its PC system requirements. According to a new announcement from Blizzard, starting with the Season 05 update—and especially with the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7—players must enable two core security features: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, to access online modes.
This move follows a similar decision made by Electronic Arts for Battlefield 6. In that case, the Javelin anti-cheat system was reported to work most effectively when TPM and Secure Boot were active—both of which are built into modern PC hardware and firmware.
For Call of Duty, the game’s Ricochet Anti-Cheat system has been upgraded in Season 05, now featuring stronger defenses and new verification protocols. Enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot increases the precision of hardware-based identity checks, preventing tampering or cheating tools from modifying the game environment.
Blizzard clarified that each time a player boots their PC and launches the game, Windows performs a security check. The result of that scan is sent to Activision’s servers to verify that the system hasn’t been altered, spoofed, or virtualized in a way that could bypass the anti-cheat mechanisms.
This means techniques like game file modification or using cheat software at the OS level will be far less effective. Blizzard reassured users that these checks only run at boot and game launch, and will not affect performance or slow down gameplay.
Currently, this system is being rolled out gradually for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone. However, with the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 later this year, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot will become mandatory for all PC players.
The new requirement has stirred frustration among players—particularly those unfamiliar with BIOS settings or advanced system configuration. However, both EA and Activision insist that this is a necessary step to ensure a fairer and more secure gaming environment.
TPM (Trusted Platform Module) is a security chip embedded in the motherboard, used to protect data and verify system integrity. Secure Boot, on the other hand, is a UEFI BIOS feature that ensures only trusted software can load during system startup. Both are considered foundational security technologies in Windows 10 and 11.
Players who haven’t enabled these features will need to enter their BIOS settings to activate them manually. Activision has published a detailed guide on its website to assist users in checking and enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.
Many gamers have welcomed the decision, seeing it as a strong deterrent against cheaters in online matches. Still, concerns remain that players with older systems or outdated BIOS versions may struggle to comply.
Additionally, Blizzard has promised ongoing improvements to the Ricochet anti-cheat system to make it even more effective and intelligent in detecting abnormal behavior. This shows a clear commitment by developers to ensure a fair, competitive, and secure environment for players around the world.
The integration of hardware-based security features like TPM and Secure Boot into gaming represents a growing trend in the industry—where cutting-edge technology and cybersecurity are being leveraged as frontline defenses against cheaters, protecting the experience for honest players.