Call of Duty Black Ops 7 will force you to run two key security features on PC

Call of Duty has just published its latest progress report for its Ricochet anti-cheat program, which is receiving some more upgrades with the release of Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 5. Activision has also announced that some new security measures are being put in place for PC gamers wanting to play Black Ops 7 when it launches later this year. Two anti-cheat tools, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, will be required to play the new COD.

Over the last couple of years, Activision has put a lot of effort into regularly upgrading Ricochet and being transparent about what's changing and the results. Sadly, Call of Duty's cheating issues have never really gone away. There have been periods where things have improved, but there have been other times when the cheater population has exploded. At the end of last year, Activision conceded that its anti-cheat systems weren't good enough in Black Ops 6, and it really can't afford for Black Ops 7 to experience similar issues. However, in recent months it's been bolstering Ricochet up, and that work continues heading into Season 5 of BO6 and Warzone.

For the new season of the FPS games, Call of Duty will be introducing two fairly common PC security features into its Ricochet arsenal: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Activision says that this double act should "ensure that players are starting the game from a secure, cheat-free foundation."

While it'll be optional to begin with, Activision plans on making both tools mandatory for PC players come the Black Ops 7 release date. That means your PC must have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled, otherwise you won't be able to play the game.

If you're concerned about these tools negatively affecting your game's performance, Activision assures there's nothing to be worried about. "TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot will not impact in-game quality. These features perform checks during system and game startup but remain inactive while you play," the new Ricochet report says. If you're unsure about how to check if these tools are enabled and if your PC supports them, head to Activision's dedicated help page here.

Elsewhere in the ever-turbulent world of Call of Duty's anti-cheat efforts, Activision says it's been clamping down hard on cheat distributors.

"Ricochet Anti-Cheat escalated its campaign against the cheat marketplace by targeting 22 additional individuals responsible for developing and selling cheats," the report reads. "Each received a formal cease and desist demand letter, while we simultaneously dismantled their advertised services to cut off both cheat makers / resellers and customers in a coordinated strike.

"The majority of those targeted have already sent us notices that they will comply, with several vendors announcing the closure of their illicit services. Those who remain non-compliant or resurface under new aliases will face further action. This dual-pronged approach, hitting both supply and demand, sends an unmistakable message: we're not only disrupting the market; we're working to dismantle it."

Strong words, but more importantly, strong actions. Activision says that, in total, it's taken down close to 40 cheat providers and distributors since Black Ops 6 launched in October last year.

Given that the highly anticipated Battlefield 6 is on the way later this year, potentially just a couple of weeks before Black Ops 7, Activision knows its annual release faces more competition than it's been used to in recent years. If BO7 is riddled with cheaters, and EA manages to nail that side of things with Battlefield 6, then that could spell disaster. Ricochet needs to be the most solid it's ever been, and today's report definitely proves Activision knows that.

For more, check out some of the best multiplayer games on PC right now. If you want to ensure your aim is as sharp as it can be, head to our guide on the best gaming mouse.

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