Key Highlights:
- Call of Duty has a big issue with regards to cheaters in the game.
- This is despite the game having kernel level anti cheat.
- Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 are mandatory for this to work.
Like most modern competitive first person shooters, the newest Call of Duty also comes with more than a few prerequisites that must be enabled in order to be able to even boot up the game.
In particular, the game’s anti cheat solution requires the stringent use (and presence) of a TPM 2.0 module, along with secure boot. Despite this rather larger barrier of entry, it has done little to keep cheaters at bay thus far, drawing doubts about its effectiveness.
Call of Duty Enforces Secure Boot to Be Able to Play Black Ops 7 at Launch
Call of Duty Black Ops 7 will require players to have TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 enabled, in order to have Secure Boot enabled as well. This step is mandatory for PC players, and the only way to access Call of Duty Black Ops 7 during its November 14, 2025 launch.
The full details were laid down by a post on YouTube, which confirmed that the game will be using the Ricochet anti cheat system within it. For those unaware, Ricochet is the kernel level anti cheat solution deployed by Activision in games like Call of Duty.
You can find a full breakdown on how to enable Secure Boot on your PC by looking into the official article linked by Activision themselves here. That being said, it’s a very straightforward process, and one that requires barely 10 minutes to set up.
If you’re on Windows 11, chances are that your system supports these protocols right out of the box, and you won’t need to do anything else.
However, like most anti cheats of this nature, Ricochet is kernel level, meaning it has access to your entire PC.
While no one likes root level access, kernel level anti cheats are here to stay, and probably our best bet at preventing hackers from ruining the game for everyone else. This does come with a few disadvantages though, such as not being able to run the game on older motherboards, or alternative operating systems such as Linux.
Kernel level solutions are slowly becoming the norm now, with a good example being in the form of Battlefield 6, which has seen some success with regards to keeping hackers at bay
There Are Serious Doubts as to Activision’s Way of Dealing with Offenders
Call of Duty has always had a problem with hackers and cheaters running rampant across its multiplayer lobbies. Past efforts have done naught to fix the situation, and things are unlikely to change anytime soon either.
After all, the hard requirement for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot was enforced earlier in August, 2025 and has done barely anything to keep hackers at bay. On the other hand, Battlefield 6 has managed to crack down on hackers, deploying a far more effective anti cheat solution.
Also Read: Battlefield 6 Does What Call of Duty Won’t, and Starts Banning Cheaters
It’s clear here that Ricochet is far from ideal, as even with these strict requirements, bad actors have managed to find loopholes and deploy hacks, making the game a miserable experience for everyone else.
Most players have started to grow increasingly frustrated with the situation as well, calling Activision out for their lack of foresight and effective control. It’s quite a sad state of affairs, and Black Ops 7 seems to be heading over to the same fate as its predecessors.
