Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's revised anti cheat means you might not be able to play

Four soldiers move through red gas with their weapons drawn
(Image credit: Activision)

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will feature an upgraded anti-cheat system
  • PC players will need TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
  • It seems users of older hardware won't be able to play

New details about the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 anti-cheat system have been released ahead of the game's upcoming beta.

"We’re striking cheat makers and sellers from every angle: in-game detections that stop them cold, and legal action that dismantles their operations. And we’re not stopping there." read a recent Call of Duty blog post.

"The launch of Black Ops 7 marks the beginning of a new phase for Richochet Anti-Cheat. We enter it armed with stronger systems and an unwavering commitment to game protection and cheat prevention."

The most important announcement was that the game will require TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot in order to play. TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) is a dedicated hardware security chip, the very same one required to upgrade to Windows 11.

If you're PC is currently running that operating system, you have one and won't need to worry - but those on older hardware seemingly won't be able to play Black Ops 7.

Secure Boot is an operating system setting that is designed to prevent programs from interfering with the startup process.

It's quite tricky to enable and requires you to fiddle around with your PC's BIOS. If you're wondering how to do it ahead of the beta dates, refer to your motherboard or PC's manual or check out the official guide on the Windows support site.

According to Activision, the use of TMP 2.0 and Secure Boot will improve the anti-cheat software's ability to detect cheaters.

Both features are also required to play the upcoming Battlefield 6. In both cases, we'll just have to wait to see whether this move proves effective.


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Dashiell Wood
Hardware Writer

Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.

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