Secure boot requirement for BF6 - discussion

BrianInEngland · Aug 10, 2025

This post isn't because I need support, it's more of a discussion/opinion thing. Admins feel free to move it to a more suitable forum

With the launch of Battlefield 6, one of the system requirements is Secure boot must be enabled
Queue several dozen Reddit posts about problems users have had, from bricked PCs, black screens, BSODs and failed boots when trying to setup their Secure boot (many of these machines are on Win 10 and have CSM enabled in the BIOS which is no go for Secure boot)

In my opinion NO GAME should require users to mess with BIOS settings in order to play it. Not everyone is tech-savvy and just use their PCs as 'plug and play' machines - they'd likely be totally baffled if they're told to fiddle with BIOS settings

Even some techy users are struggling to get SB to work (queue all the posts on Reddit)

In addition to the SB issue this game installs a kernel-level anti-cheat driver, which can be a potential problem in itself (security problems and crashes). Reading about it these are basically a form of rootkit!

Opinions welcomed, I'm not here to argue I just wondered what opinions people have about this.
I refuse to install any game that needs Secure boot, or indeed a kernel-level anti-cheat

glasskuter · Aug 10, 2025

BrianInEngland said:
I refuse to install any game that needs Secure boot, or indeed a kernel-level anti-cheat

smart guy

garlin · Aug 10, 2025

Requiring Secure Boot is now more common, because it's where game publishers are at in their never-ending war against cheaters. If it weren't for rampant cheating, most of these measures wouldn't be required.

In the normal security model, a running Windows process cannot read or write to any part of another process' memory. If you were a cheater, you want to do both things. When you can read the game's memory, you can find out where all your enemies are on the map, or use an auto-aim bot. When you can write to the game's memory, you can effect a "god mode" by changing your in-game stats.

Cheater mod devs learned how to write their own kernel drivers, which by definition, run as privileged system processes and have free access to other processes' memory. By enabling Secure Boot, it helps deter cheaters because the cheat driver must be properly signed. Now some devs will find a lenient Certificate Authority (ie. China) and have their drivers signed.

If the game publisher complains to MS, Windows can push a certificate revocation to ignore any certs from this CA and nullify the signing.

Anti-cheats are kernel drivers themselves which spy on other running processes, searching for signs that other drivers or processes are doing something to interfere with the game. Basically, both sides are locked in an arms race.

Would it be nice to live a world where the game publisher doesn't have to put up this crap? Sure. But they have to listen to players complain about how other jerks are using cheats to make a mess of the ranking systems.

I don't think the bricking and BSOD's are entirely the game's fault. Many users decided to turn off Secure Boot for personal reasons, and never were prepared to turn it back on. Secure Boot isn't just a BIOS setting, it requires you have signed drivers (which also aren't banned by MS). And some games require to enable VBS for added security.

Marcus Vinicus · Aug 10, 2025

EA have been under pressure because of other games such as PGA Tour 2023 where people have been cheating in online play. Guess they feel rightly or wrongly they must act to stop cheaters allegedly setting up their computers to load the cheat functionality during the boot process.

Melchior · Aug 10, 2025

I won't be buying any game that does that, too...
I disabled secure-boot to avoid issues with my PC...
and have never had any issues..
I don't play games online other then
Unreal Tournament 2004 on a good freeze tag server.. with regulars...
and World of Warcraft...
and Steam..

yeah I hear them.. cheaters are evil and suck...

BrianInEngland · Aug 10, 2025

garlin said:
Requiring Secure Boot is now more common, because it's where game publishers are at in their never-ending war against cheaters. If it weren't for rampant cheating, most of these measures wouldn't be required.

In the normal security model, a running Windows process cannot read or write to any part of another process' memory. If you were a cheater, you want to do both things. When you can read the game's memory, you can find out where all your enemies are on the map, or use an auto-aim bot. When you can write to the game's memory, you can effect a "god mode" by changing your in-game stats.

Cheater mod devs learned how to write their own kernel drivers, which by definition, run as privileged system processes and have free access to other processes' memory. By enabling Secure Boot, it helps deter cheaters because the cheat driver must be properly signed. Now some devs will find a lenient Certificate Authority (ie. China) and have their drivers signed.

If the game publisher complains to MS, Windows can push a certificate revocation to ignore any certs from this CA and nullify the signing.

Anti-cheats are kernel drivers themselves which spy on other running processes, searching for signs that other drivers or processes are doing something to interfere with the game. Basically, both sides are locked in an arms race.

Would it be nice to live a world where the game publisher doesn't have to put up this crap? Sure. But they have to listen to players complain about how other jerks are using cheats to make a mess of the ranking systems.

I don't think the bricking and BSOD's are entirely the game's fault. Many users decided to turn off Secure Boot for personal reasons, and never were prepared to turn it back on. Secure Boot isn't just a BIOS setting, it requires you have signed drivers (which also aren't banned by MS). And some games require to enable VBS for added security.

Yeah not the game's fault but people seem so desperate to play it regardless of the problems it might cause...

Cheating is for losers, if people can't play using their own skill/reflexes then why bother?
That's for another thread another time!

Marcus Vinicus · Aug 10, 2025

Melchior said:
I don't play games online other then

Neither do I, and don't have any barrow to push on this one. It is an interesting issue though specially with MS trying to make SB mandatory in Windows 11.

BrianInEngland · Aug 10, 2025

Marcus Vinicus said:
Neither do I, and don't have any barrow to push on this one. It is an interesting issue though specially with MS trying to make SB mandatory in Windows 11.

Win 11 requires SB support (so no CSM) but it's still optional (at the moment anyway)

I recently clean installed Win 11 with SB disabled (no Rufus or anything, I used a MS ISO image)

RJARRRPCGP · Aug 10, 2025

BrianInEngland said:
failed boots when trying to setup their Secure boot

Being forced to clear the CMOS, because it fails to POST, resembling overclocking CPU core(s) or RAM far too much, is the result of not setting the Secure Boot mode to the Standard preset!

You must set that to "Standard" then enable Secure Boot.

bikemanAMD · Aug 18, 2025

I've always had the security features enabled on my system thankfully, so i didn't have to figure out Secure Boot to try out Battlefield 6 Open Beta

Full Release is October 10th for Battlefield 6

Hopefully alot of folks don't end up bricking there Systems trying to enable it if its not already enabled on there systems.

But if folks make sure its set for Standard first, have a system image done, and follow instructions to enable Secure Boot and other required Security settings for Battlefield 6 and future games, They should all be perfectly fine

As for my system i'm hoping i can keep it in terrific shape, and won't need another clean install when 25H2 releases, and system continues running perfectly. Installing less items, removing less items, just doing the standard updates of Windows, and other programs nowadays, no other betas, or unnecessary junk

Secure boot requirement for BF6 - discussion

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