This month, Electronic Arts (EA) revealed that players participating in the PC beta for Battlefield 6 would need to activate Secure Boot in their BIOS and Windows settings. This decision sparked significant debate among the gaming community, particularly among those struggling with the intricate security setting or expressing concerns about granting EA’s anti-cheat tools elevated access to their systems.
In a recent interview, Battlefield 6’s technical director, Christian Buhl, offered a defense for the Secure Boot mandate, describing it as a necessary measure against cheating, while also expressing regret for any players who might be deterred by this requirement.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to implement measures like Secure Boot,” Buhl stated during his conversation with Eurogamer. “It does limit access for some players, making it impossible for them to join, which is really disappointing. I wish we could create an environment where everyone can enjoy the game without such barriers.”
Buhl acknowledged that despite Secure Boot’s implementation, it wouldn’t completely eliminate cheating in Battlefield 6 in the long run. However, he stressed that the Javelin anti-cheat tools, made possible through Secure Boot’s system access, are among the most effective options available to combat cheating. He noted that while no solution can guarantee an end to cheating, enabling Secure Boot does significantly complicate the cheating process and facilitates the detection and prevention of such activities.
Balancing Security Concerns
In a Steam forum post prior to the beta launch, EA described Secure Boot as providing essential tools to counteract cheats that attempt to infiltrate the game during the boot process of Windows. This security feature, which leverages the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on the motherboard, allows EA’s anti-cheat team to monitor and combat various forms of cheating, including kernel-level cheats, rootkits, and attempts to interfere with anti-cheat mechanisms.
Shortly after the Battlefield 6 open beta commenced, EA indicated that its Javelin anti-cheat system had successfully blocked over 330,000 cheating attempts in less than two days. Players also reported more than 104,000 instances of suspected cheating, providing data that EA believes will help enhance detection methods and minimize the impact of cheaters on the game experience.
“There are specific signals we can only rely on when Secure Boot is activated,” EA mentioned in their report. “While Secure Boot is not a one-stop solution, it acts as another hurdle to complicate the efforts of cheat developers, making it simpler for us to identify their activities.”
Despite EA’s explanations justifying the Secure Boot requirement, player backlash has been notable. A quick search on Reddit reveals numerous complaints regarding the challenges of enabling Secure Boot on various PC setups, alongside concerns about the implications of giving EA extensive access to their systems.
One Reddit user shared their apprehensions about participating in the beta, voicing concerns over potentially damaging their PC or relinquishing control to EA. “I’m eager to play the beta but A) I’m worried about bricking my PC. B) I’m worried about giving EA complete access to my machine,” they wrote.
Nonetheless, Buhl conveyed to Eurogamer that overall feedback regarding the anti-cheat system has been positive and emphasized that combating cheating remains a key focus as the game approaches its planned launch date on October 6. “The battle against cheating is ongoing,” Buhl remarked. “It’s a perpetual game of cat and mouse. We might not ever fully succeed, but our goal is to ensure the utmost safety and security for our players.”