Why Do Games Require Secure Boot

A familiar Friday-night scene: you launch a game on Windows 11, expecting a quick warm-up match… and a box pops up—“Enable Secure Boot.” No error code, no big speech. Just a roadblock. If you’ve never opened your firmware settings, that prompt feels like a bouncer at the door asking for credentials you didn’t bring.

Think of Secure Boot like a bouncer for your PC’s startup. The moment you hit the power button, it checks the 'ID' (digital signature) of the software trying to load—like Windows or its helpers. If anything looks fake or suspicious, it gets blocked before it can cause trouble. It won’t make your PC faster, but it stops malware from sneaking in during boot-up. Keep it on to lock out the bad stuff.

So, let’s now explore why more and more games are starting to require Secure Boot to be enabled.

Why More Games Are Adopting Secure Boot?

Common Anti-Cheat Methods & Their Limitations

The Secure Boot Advantage

Multiplayer shooters (Call of Duty, Battlefield 6 etc.) face relentless cheating epidemics where traditional software-based anti-cheat struggles. This multi-layer validation (firmware → OS → game) creates unprecedented barriers for cheat developers, explaining its adoption by studios like EA and Ubisoft for upcoming titles.

How Secure Boot Changes the Game?

Secure Boot makes cheating significantly harder by blocking common attack vectors before the game even launches. Here’s how it impacts real-world cheating methods:

Stops Boot-Level Cheats (Like "Bootkits")

Example: Some advanced cheats modify system files before Windows loads, letting them bypass traditional anti-cheat.

Secure Boot’s Role: It verifies every component during startup—if a cheat tries to tamper with the boot process, the system refuses to load.

Kills Kernel Driver Exploits

Example: Many premium cheats (e.g., ESP hacks or aimbots) rely on fake or vulnerable drivers to inject code.

Secure Boot’s Role: Only drivers with valid digital signatures can load, blocking unauthorized tools. Games like Valorant already enforce this via kernel-mode anti-cheat (Vanguard), but Secure Boot adds an extra hardware-backed layer.

Blocks "Undetectable" Cheats

Example: Some cheats disguise themselves as legitimate software (e.g., RGB control apps or mouse drivers).

Secure Boot’s Role: Even if the cheat bypasses the game’s anti-cheat, Secure Boot prevents it from running at boot, forcing cheat developers to find much harder workarounds.

Complicates Spoofing Hardware Bans

Example: Cheaters often bypass hardware bans by spoofing their PC’s identifiers (like motherboard serials).

Secure Boot’s Role: Since it ties trust to the motherboard’s firmware, spoofing becomes far more difficult without physical access.

Does Secure Boot actually Help Anti‑Cheat?

Short answer: Yes— But it's also important to note that no anti-cheat method is perfect. As technology advances and software evolves, more sophisticated cheating methods will inevitably emerge—which is why developers must continuously update their anti-cheat systems.

The Advantages of Secure Boot

1. It Blocks Sneaky Cheats Before They Start: Some cheats try to load before your game even opens. Secure Boot checks everything during startup and stops unauthorized programs from running.
2. Makes Cheats More Expensive & Rare: Cheat developers now need special tools or hacked certificates to bypass Secure Boot. This means fewer free cheats, and paid ones cost more.
3. Works With Other Anti-Cheat Systems: Games like Valorant and Call of Duty already have strong anti-cheat. Secure Boot adds extra protection by making sure cheats can’t mess with the system early on.

Bottom Line: It won’t stop all cheating, but it makes life much harder for cheaters—so fewer ruin your games.

Secure Boot's Limitations

1. Not a silver bullet for userland cheats: Many cheats run in user space or use game engine manipulation and server‑side vulnerabilities; Secure Boot does not stop these.
2. Signed malware and stolen keys: Attackers can use legitimately signed malicious drivers (through stolen or abused certificates, vulnerable vendor drivers, or unsigned-to-signed escalation chains) to bypass Secure Boot protections.
3. Physical/DMA attacks and hardware cheats: Devices that use DMA, external hardware (consoles/controllers spoofing input), or physically modify hardware are not stopped by Secure Boot.
4. Bootloader or firmware compromises: If firmware, OEM Secure Boot key stores, or supply chains are compromised, Secure Boot can be undermined.
5. User opt‑outs and test modes: Users can disable Secure Boot, enable test signing, or run modified firmware in some environments—circumventing the protection.

Some Side Effects of Secure Boot

In some cases, you may encounter certain issues after enabling Secure Boot:

• Black screen after disabling CSM: older GPUs without a UEFI GOP can’t show video in pure UEFI mode. If the vendor offers a vBIOS with GOP, flash it; if not, you may need to keep CSM (and skip Secure Boot).
• Switched to UEFI but Windows won’t load: the boot disk is probably still MBR or the boot entry didn’t update. Convert with mbr2gpt and try again.
• The game still nags you: some titles also require TPM 2.0 or updated anti-cheat components. Check the game’s recent notes.
• Performance myths: Secure Boot doesn’t touch runtime performance. If frames dip, look at CPU/GPU/SSD/thermals/network—not this switch.

FAQs about Secure Boot

Q1. Does Secure Boot conflict with in-game anti-cheat?
No. Secure Boot works alongside anti-cheat systems like Battlefield 6's Javelin to block unauthorized software. EA explicitly requires Battlefield 6 Secure Boot to ensure cheat-free gameplay.

Q2. Is Secure Boot only for Windows 11?
No. Secure Boot is supported on both Windows 10 and 11, but your PC’s UEFI/BIOS must enable it. Older hardware may need firmware updates.

Q3. Does Secure Boot reduce gaming performance?
Typically no. Secure Boot itself has minimal impact, but related security features (e.g., VBS in Windows 11) may slightly affect FPS. Most Battlefield 6 players report negligible performance loss.

Q4. Can I play without enabling Secure Boot?
For Battlefield 6, no. EA mandates Secure Boot to launch the game. Tools like UU Accelerator can guide BIOS setup if manual configuration is difficult.

TL;DR

More games will likely require Secure Boot in the future, as it has proven highly effective in reducing cheating with minimal downsides. However, this also means higher system and hardware requirements for players.

If you plan to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Battlefield 6, Valorant, or similar titles, check out GearUP. We offer full Secure Boot verification and setup guides to help you configure it quickly and easily.
It’s the lock you don’t think about—until the day someone tries the handle.