Call of Duty’s relentless march toward ever more advanced technology has reached a new inflection point: with the official announcement that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will strictly require both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled on PC. This move, instituted by Activision and implemented through a recent Season 5 update, marks the first time that hardware-backed security measures become a non-negotiable barrier for one of gaming’s biggest franchises. As anticipation mounts for the game’s 2025 launch, PC gamers are already debating the broad implications—not just for competitive play, but for the accessibility, longevity, and user experience of PC gaming itself.
Requiring both Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 isn’t merely a technical footnote—it’s a watershed moment signaling the Call of Duty franchise’s full pivot to hardware-based security as a solution for maintaining “fair and fun gameplay.” Secure Boot, long a staple of UEFI firmware on modern systems, prevents unauthorized low-level software from running during system startup. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, meanwhile, is a cryptographic processor designed to achieve tamperproof validation and manage security credentials at a hardware level.
While both these requirements became household terms with the arrival of Windows 11, their imposition by a blockbuster game franchise signals a shift in the enforcement of platform security—reshaping not just the technical landscape, but also the ethos of PC gaming.
Whether this is the dawn of a more secure gaming ecosystem—or the start of a new digital divide—remains to be seen. What’s certain is that the line between hardware and software, between security and accessibility, has been indelibly redrawn for PC gamers everywhere. As one of the world’s biggest game franchises makes this leap, others are sure to follow—forcing the community, and the industry at large, to reckon with the evolving definition of what it means to play fair.
Source: TweakTown Black Ops 7 requires both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on PC
Overview: A New Line in the Sand for PC Game Security
Requiring both Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 isn’t merely a technical footnote—it’s a watershed moment signaling the Call of Duty franchise’s full pivot to hardware-based security as a solution for maintaining “fair and fun gameplay.” Secure Boot, long a staple of UEFI firmware on modern systems, prevents unauthorized low-level software from running during system startup. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, meanwhile, is a cryptographic processor designed to achieve tamperproof validation and manage security credentials at a hardware level.While both these requirements became household terms with the arrival of Windows 11, their imposition by a blockbuster game franchise signals a shift in the enforcement of platform security—reshaping not just the technical landscape, but also the ethos of PC gaming.
What Are Secure Boot and TPM 2.0?
Secure Boot: Protecting the Startup Pipeline
Secure Boot is designed to keep a PC safe during the critical system startup phase. By only allowing signed, trusted bootloaders and operating systems to load, it blocks rootkits and persistent malware that could tamper with game clients, cheat engines, or anti-cheat routines at their roots. When Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS/UEFI, only authenticated operating systems and drivers—those authenticated by OEMs and Microsoft—can initialize.TPM 2.0: Hardware-Based Trust
TPM 2.0 is a hardware-based security chip that provides cryptographic operations, including secure generation and storage of cryptographic keys. In gaming, TPM 2.0 plays a pivotal role in anti-cheat technologies; it can be leveraged to authenticate the machine’s identity and ensure that cheat loaders or malicious code have not subverted the operating environment. This level of hardware-rooted security can preclude a wide range of sophisticated cheat methods that thrive at the firmware or kernel level.Why Are These Requirements Being Enforced Now?
Escalating War on Cheating
The Call of Duty series has long suffered from sophisticated cheating plaguing both ranked and casual play. By enforcing TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, Black Ops 7 aims to curb the most intractable forms of cheating—those that operate at the kernel or boot sector level and are virtually impossible to detect or block with traditional software anti-cheat.- Kernel-level cheats inject themselves into the earliest stages of the OS or hardware initialization, sidestepping conventional in-game protections.
- Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 together establish a hardware-backed chain of trust from system startup through game launch, radically constraining the effectiveness of such attacks.
Parallels in Other Shooter Franchises
Notably, Call of Duty isn’t alone: Battlefield 6 and other competitive shooters are rumored or confirmed to be heading in the same direction. This signals an emerging consensus across the industry that mere software-level protections are no longer sufficient for safeguarding the integrity of major online games.Technical Barriers: What This Means for Your System
Windows 11: Typically Ready By Default
Most newer PCs running Windows 11 already ship with both Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 enabled, as these are core requirements for the operating system itself. Users within this ecosystem can expect a seamless transition to Black Ops 7’s mandates.Windows 10 and Older Hardware: Complications Ahead
The story grows more complex—and contentious—for those on Windows 10 or older platforms:- Many Windows 10 setups, particularly custom-built gaming rigs or older OEM systems, may have Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 turned off by default.
- Some older motherboards may lack native TPM 2.0 support entirely, or only include support for an earlier, incompatible TPM 1.2 standard.
- For users without an onboard TPM header, this could mean installing an add-in module (if the board supports it) or even upgrading the motherboard.
BIOS/UEFI Reconfiguration: A Technical Hurdle
Players may need to:- Boot into their UEFI/BIOS firmware settings.
- Locate and enable both TPM 2.0 (sometimes labeled “PTT” on Intel or “fTPM” on AMD systems) and Secure Boot.
- Reinstall or reconfigure Windows if Secure Boot was previously disabled or incompatible drivers are present.
Accessibility and the Specter of Planned Obsolescence
Locking Out Older PCs
Perhaps the most controversial aspect: Many capable gaming PCs, especially those just outside the Windows 11 hardware cutoff, risk being locked out of the next Call of Duty outright. This represents a break from years of PC gaming tradition, where backward compatibility and platform flexibility have reigned supreme.- Even systems otherwise capable of running demanding AAA games at 60+ FPS may be excluded, not for lack of horsepower, but for missing security hardware.
- Users in less affluent regions or those who have diligently upgraded GPUs, but not motherboards, could find themselves forcibly sidelined.
Echoes of the Windows 11 Divide
This mirrors the debate that erupted when Microsoft drew the line with Windows 11, frustrating users with legitimate, performant machines deemed obsolete by new hardware standards. Now, Call of Duty players face a game-level iteration of that dividing line, setting a precedent that’s likely to ripple out across other titles and genres.Impact on Modding, Dual-Booting, and Alternative OS Use
Threats to Openness and Customization
Unlike most past security requirements, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot may inadvertently hinder more than just would-be cheaters:- Linux users and dual-boot setups may experience compatibility problems if Secure Boot validation rejects non-Microsoft-signed kernels or bootloaders.
- Modding, homebrew updates, and even advanced streaming/recording setups could be affected if security policies grow more restrictive or interfere with unsigned code execution.
- The risk of accidental lockout increases for users unaccustomed to BIOS manipulation—a single misconfigured option can render systems unbootable.
Will This Push Players Toward Console Ecosystems?
By raising the technical bar for PC play, there’s looming concern that disillusioned users could opt for the more predictable (if less flexible) environments offered by PlayStation and Xbox, where anti-cheat, performance, and hardware requirements are monolithic and outside player control.Critical Analysis: Strengths and Risks of the Shift
Advantages: A New Standard for Competitive Integrity
- Hardware-backed security is demonstrably more effective at stopping ultra-sophisticated hacks, which routinely puncture software-based anti-cheat.
- For ranked gameplay and pro-level tournaments, this heightens trust that victories and defeats are earned in legitimate competition.
- This may serve as a blueprint for other competitive genres outside shooters, including MOBAs, racing, and sports esports.
Risks: Fragmentation and Erosion of PC Gaming Values
However, this shift is not without significant trade-offs:- Accessibility takes a hit, particularly for budget-conscious players, students, and those in regions with limited access to new hardware.
- There’s no guarantee that hardware-level protections will be futureproof against determined adversaries; cheat makers have historically adapted to new paradigms, and hardware exploits are not mythical.
- The decision could usher in a new era of planned obsolescence by software, where PC games prematurely abandon swathes of hardware as a matter of corporate policy, not technical necessity.
The Precedent for Future AAA Titles
With a franchise as influential as Call of Duty normalizing these requirements, competitors are likely to follow. This could rapidly shift the baseline for what constitutes a “gaming-ready” PC, consolidating the notion that secure boot and TPM are as essential as a discrete GPU for premium play.Is This a One-Way Door for PC Gaming?
Potential for Industry Rollback
While current momentum seems to favor ever-tightening requirements, a widespread community outcry or catastrophic market fragmentation could pressure publishers to revisit such policies. However, as operating systems themselves grow increasingly security-centric, the likelihood of a reversal seems slim.Possible Workarounds: For Now, Few Exist
Players unable, or unwilling, to meet the new standards may investigate unofficial workarounds—including BIOS mods, hardware hacks, or third-party kernel patches—but such maneuvers are fraught with risk:- Violations of EULA may result in permanent bans.
- Security vulnerabilities introduced by unofficial patches could do more harm than good, opening new vectors for exploits.
- Developers have signaled less and less tolerance for even well-meaning circumvention, citing legal and ecosystem stability concerns.
Preparing for Black Ops 7: Practical Steps
For those determined to play Black Ops 7 on PC, several proactive measures will be crucial:- Check your motherboard’s manual and manufacturer support site—some models support TPM 2.0 via firmware update even if not initially advertised.
- Update BIOS/UEFI firmware—late-stage updates can backport TPM 2.0 or improve Secure Boot compatibility.
- Plan for OS reinstallation if Secure Boot poses issues; clean installs are often a reliable fix.
- Evaluate your hardware shopping priorities—new motherboards and CPUs may be more important than simply upgrading GPUs for future-proofing.
Conclusion: The New Face of Fair Play—And Its Price
The imposition of TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot as mandatory requirements for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a landmark move that redefines the minimum bar for competitive PC gaming security. While the benefits in cheat prevention and gameplay integrity are clear and meaningful, they come at a tangible cost. For many, it will mean upgrading hardware, relearning BIOS configuration, or even considering a new platform entirely.Whether this is the dawn of a more secure gaming ecosystem—or the start of a new digital divide—remains to be seen. What’s certain is that the line between hardware and software, between security and accessibility, has been indelibly redrawn for PC gamers everywhere. As one of the world’s biggest game franchises makes this leap, others are sure to follow—forcing the community, and the industry at large, to reckon with the evolving definition of what it means to play fair.
Source: TweakTown Black Ops 7 requires both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on PC
