Some users who downloaded the Battlefield 6 beta client ahead of the official launch were met with an unexpected issue: the game refuses to run without Secure Boot enabled in BIOS.
Early access begins on August 7 for Battlefield Labs participants and stream viewers who received keys. The open beta becomes available to everyone on August 9. However, the client became pre-loadable on August 4, revealing the new system requirement.
Secure Boot is a UEFI/BIOS feature that verifies the digital signature of the operating system on startup. According to EA, enabling this setting allows deeper-level anti-cheat mechanisms that protect against kernel-level cheats like rootkits, memory tampering, hardware ID spoofing, and other low-level attacks.
Notably, even with Secure Boot enabled, the game may fail to start if Compatibility Support Module (CSM) is active or BIOS settings are misconfigured. Some players reported that only after reconfiguring BIOS and manually reactivating Secure Boot were they able to launch the game.
It’s important to note: this requirement is separate from EA’s Javelin anti-cheat system used in Battlefield 2042. Secure Boot is a standalone layer of protection, and without it, Battlefield 6 will not launch at all.
The move has sparked mixed reactions. Some support the strict anti-cheat efforts, while others criticize the added complexity — especially since enabling Secure Boot requires BIOS access and technical know-how not every gamer possesses.
