Call of Duty Black Ops 7 PC Will Require TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot

After EA’s Battlefield 6 announced new hardware-level security requirements, Activision is following suit. Starting with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, PC players will need more than just a powerful GPU to run the game. Activision is introducing a mandatory TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot enabled in the system BIOS.

These two features—best known for being Windows 11 prerequisites—will soon become an integral part of the Call of Duty PC experience. The reason? To strengthen the Ricochet anti-cheat system and ensure that the game boots in a secure, tamper-free environment, minimizing the risk of hidden cheats or malicious code being loaded before gameplay begins.

While this move will please competitive players tired of cheaters, it also raises compatibility concerns for users with older gaming PCs.

Why Is Activision Requiring TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot?

Competitive first-person shooters are no strangers to cheaters, but in recent years, the problem has escalated. Traditional software-based anti-cheat tools can’t always stop sophisticated hacks that load before the operating system starts.

By making TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot mandatory from Season 5 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone onward, Activision is adopting the same core hardware security model as Windows 11.

• TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module): This chip stores encryption keys and verifies system integrity at boot. It detects if system files or drivers have been altered before Windows even starts. In Call of Duty, this ensures Ricochet can confirm your system is uncompromised before you enter a match.
• Secure Boot: Enabled in the UEFI firmware (modern BIOS), Secure Boot ensures only trusted software and drivers approved by Microsoft can load during startup. This prevents rootkits or cheats from injecting themselves before your OS launches.

Activision stresses that these checks run only during startup and won’t affect in-game performance.

What It Means for PC Gamers

From Black Ops 7 onward, there’s no bypass: No TPM 2.0 + No Secure Boot = No Game. If your PC doesn’t meet these requirements—or you have them disabled—you won’t get past the main menu.

Fortunately, Season 5 of Black Ops 6 acts as a testing phase. The checks are already in place but no blocks are enforced yet, giving players time to enable these settings or upgrade hardware.

However, some older PCs—especially pre-2016 builds—lack TPM 2.0 support or can’t use Secure Boot. Linux and Steam Deck players may also face bigger hurdles, as these features are tied closely to Windows security architecture.

How to Check and Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot

Before panicking, check if your PC already supports these features:

1. Check TPM 2.0
   • Press Windows + R, type tpm.msc, and hit Enter.
   • If TPM 2.0 is present, you’ll see its version. If not, check your BIOS settings.
2. Enable Secure Boot
   • Restart your PC and enter the BIOS/UEFI menu.
   • Look for Secure Boot in the boot or security tab and enable it.

Most modern systems already have TPM 2.0 built-in (either on the motherboard or in the CPU), and Secure Boot can be activated with just a few clicks.

A New Era of FPS Anti-Cheat Measures

By enforcing hardware-based anti-cheat protection, Activision is making a bold statement: the war on cheating begins at boot-up. This approach mirrors Battlefield 6’s stance and could set a precedent for future competitive shooters.

For gamers with compatible rigs, it’s a simple BIOS tweak. For others, it may require a hardware upgrade—or even a full system replacement.

Whether these changes will truly stop the most persistent cheaters remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: when Black Ops 7 launches, players will need to be ready—both in skill and in system security.