With the launch of Battlefield 6 set for October 10, 2025, developer DICE is preparing the shooter for PC and consoles amid growing discussions around the anti-cheat measures implemented on PC. The studio’s enforcement of Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 has sparked debate due to the technical barriers it presents for some players, but DICE maintains that these protections are critical for maintaining a fair multiplayer environment. During the recent open beta, numerous PC gamers encountered warnings about Secure Boot not being enabled, which is mandatory for playing Battlefield 6 on PC. Enabling Secure Boot requires users to access their system BIOS, activate TPM 2.0, and ensure their Windows installation is formatted with a GPT disk rather than the older MBR style. For many, this can be a confusing and intimidating process — one that some systems cannot complete due to hardware or firmware limitations. Battlefield 6 technical director Christian Buhl acknowledged the frustration this causes, telling Eurogamer and PC Gamer in separate interviews, "Man, I wish we didn't have to turn on Secure Boot," and "It does prevent some players from playing the game. Some people's PCs can't handle it and they can't play; that really sucks." Despite this, he emphasized the trade-off is necessary to combat cheating effectively. Secure Boot works in tandem with EA's kernel-level anti-cheat software, Javelin, which operates with deep system access to detect cheat software in real time. This combination aims to create one of the strongest anti-cheat frameworks in the industry, although no system can entirely eliminate cheating due to the ongoing "cat-and-mouse" nature of cheat developers versus security teams. DICE’s stance aligns with broader industry trends, as seen with Activision's announcement that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will also require Secure Boot at launch. The growing adoption of these BIOS-level protections across major PC shooters highlights an escalating effort to preserve fairness in competitive gaming, especially as these titles attract large player bases and maintain active esports components. However, the implementation of Secure Boot is not without its drawbacks. It can interfere with common PC setups such as dual-boot configurations, where users alternate between Windows and other operating systems like Linux. This limits flexibility for some users but underscores the prioritization of cheat prevention over convenience. Despite the challenges, Battlefield 6’s open beta attracted substantial player engagement on Steam, indicating significant overall interest. As the title approaches full release, DICE continues to invest in education to help gamers navigate the technical requirements and ensure as many players as possible can join in. In the long term, Buhl noted that while their immediate focus is on securing casual multiplayer modes, there is potential to introduce more competitive modes with robust anti-cheat measures. The developer’s commitment to a fair and secure playing field reflects a balancing act between accessibility and integrity — a challenge that many modern PC titles increasingly face. As cheating remains a critical issue for multiplayer games, DICE’s firm security stance on Battlefield 6 underscores how the industry is evolving to protect player experience through stronger, though sometimes inconvenient, technical safeguards.