Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta Requires Secure Boot and TPM 2.0

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Store links: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on Steam

Modern Warfare 4’s PC beta has a firmware check at the door

Activision is warning PC players that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta access will be stricter than recent Call of Duty tests: if Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 are not enabled, players will be blocked from every online mode.

That is the hard line in Activision’s latest support messaging, as reported by GamingBolt, Eurogamer, and Overclock3D. Activision’s wording says that “players who do not meet requirements will be restricted from playing any online game mode.” For a Call of Duty beta built around multiplayer feel, map reads, pacing, and early weapon tuning, that turns a BIOS setting into a matchmaking requirement.

Activision has published a four-and-a-half-minute PC tutorial for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 that walks players through the Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 checks. Eurogamer reports that the guide includes UEFI and BIOS walkthroughs for AMD and Intel systems, and that Activision has also updated the Call of Duty Secure Attestation Wizard, a downloadable PC tool meant to test whether a system meets the security requirements.

The timing is the pressure point. Eurogamer says the first Modern Warfare 4 beta session begins Friday, August 21, and runs through August 25 for players who pre-ordered on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The open beta follows August 28 through September 1 on the same platforms, with Nintendo Switch 2 added for that second session. The Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirement applies to PC, not consoles.

What PC players should check before the beta starts

The practical checklist is simple, even if the fix can be annoying: confirm that TPM 2.0 is supported and enabled, confirm that Secure Boot is enabled, and be ready to approve the Windows UAC prompt if Modern Warfare 4 asks for network access.

Activision’s guide directs players into system-level settings if either feature is disabled. That means some players may need to enter the PC’s BIOS or UEFI menus, where motherboard vendors often label security options differently. Eurogamer notes that Activision’s video is useful specifically because it addresses how these settings can appear across AMD and Intel platforms.

Overclock3D, citing Activision’s support page, adds an important Windows note: Windows 11 PCs likely already have both features enabled because they are tied to the operating system’s requirements. Windows 10 users may need updates if TPM is disabled or if an older TPM version, such as 1.0 or 1.2, is active. Overclock3D also reports Activision’s requirement that Windows 10 be on version 22H2 or later, even though TPM 2.0 itself requires Windows 10 version 20H2 or later.

There is one low-friction step that should come before digging through firmware menus. Eurogamer points to Activision’s Call of Duty Secure Attestation Wizard, updated earlier this month for Modern Warfare 4, as a way to check whether the PC passes the security test. Run that first. If it fails, then follow Activision’s tutorial rather than changing BIOS settings blind.

Why Ricochet is being tied to boot security

Activision’s reason is anti-cheat, not graphics performance. GamingBolt reports that Activision says Ricochet Anti-Cheat needs TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to function properly, with the stated goal of making system-level tampering harder and protecting “the integrity of the beta from day one.”

Secure Boot is a firmware-level feature that helps ensure trusted software loads during the PC startup process. Eurogamer explains that this gives anti-cheat software a way to load early enough to stop cheats that try to run at startup. TPM 2.0 then adds a hardware-backed layer that can help detect tampering in the boot process.

That makes the requirement different from a normal PC spec. A weak GPU lowers frame rate. A missing or disabled firmware security feature blocks online access. For competitive shooters, that is a blunt tradeoff: fewer compromised systems in matchmaking, but a higher setup burden for legitimate players on older, custom-built, or misconfigured PCs.

The Call of Duty anti cheat team is also following a wider PC shooter trend. Eurogamer notes that TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements have become common across major competitive games, including Valorant and Battlefield 6. In Battlefield 6’s case, Secure Boot is already enforced, and Battlefield Studios has said it is looking to enforce TPM 2.0 as well.

This is stricter than the previous Call of Duty approach

The key change is scope. Eurogamer reports that earlier Call of Duty security rules restricted players without these requirements from certain modes and playlists, including Ranked Play, and could place them into separate matchmaking pools with other players who did not meet the requirements.

Modern Warfare 4’s beta removes that softer middle ground for online play. Activision’s updated language says non-compliant PC players are restricted from any online game mode. Overclock3D makes the same comparison to Black Ops 7, where the restrictions were narrower and matchmaking separation was part of the policy.

GamingBolt also reports that Activision has confirmed Warzone players will need Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 enabled as part of the same push to make system-level tampering harder. That matters because the Modern Warfare 4 beta is tied to the broader Call of Duty ecosystem, including Warzone content.

The confirmed part is clear: the Modern Warfare 4 beta requires both features for online modes on PC. The less settled question is permanence. Overclock3D says it is currently unknown whether these requirements are exclusive to the beta, while also calling it probable that they apply to the full game. Activision’s reported language is strong enough that PC players should prepare as if this is the new baseline, but the provided sources do not include a separate full-release policy statement beyond the beta wording and Warzone note.

Offline access may be the only fallback, but Activision has framed the block around online modes

Modern Warfare 4’s beta is unusual because it includes a campaign mission. Eurogamer reports that the beta features Entrenched, a full mission from the campaign, marking the first time a Call of Duty beta has included a campaign mission.

That creates a practical question for PC players who fail the Secure Boot or TPM 2.0 check: can they still play the campaign slice? Overclock3D interprets Activision’s “online game mode” language to mean PCs without the required features should only have access to offline modes, and therefore the included campaign mission should be accessible. That is a reasonable reading, but it is still an inference from the wording. The confirmed restriction is on online modes.

For most beta players, online access is the point. Eurogamer says the first weekend includes five 6v6 maps: Rooftops, Silkworm, Transit 213, Cachette, and Lotus. The listed modes include Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Search & Destroy, and the new Inflation mode. Kill Block is also included in 3v3 and 10v10 variants.

The second beta weekend adds more. Eurogamer reports that the open session includes Warzone’s upcoming Resurgence map Zodiac, plus Ground War on Imjin Farmland and Wolves Stadium. If you are testing gunfeel, lanes, spawn pressure, objective flow, or how Kill Block handles its round-to-round layout shifts, you need the PC security check sorted before queue time.

The beta is carrying a lot of launch expectations

Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled to release October 23 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, according to GamingBolt. Infinity Ward is developing the shooter, with a campaign centered on North Korea starting a war that escalates into a global conflict. GamingBolt also reports that multiplayer will launch with 12 core maps.

The beta content is broader than a standard weapon-and-map sampler. Eurogamer’s reporting, based on Activision’s Call of Duty X post, says Activision is using the beta to expose players to campaign content, traditional 6v6, Kill Block, Ground War, and a first look at Warzone’s Zodiac map. That puts extra weight on PC access stability. If firmware checks block a chunk of the audience at the start, the beta conversation can shift away from maps and gunfights and toward BIOS troubleshooting.

Kill Block is another piece of that risk. GamingBolt reports that Activision previously described it as a live-fire training facility for elite operators, with more than 500 map layouts and varied objectives. A recent Fanatics Fest video showed the mode to attendees, while developers acknowledged it was still far from complete. A mode built around changing layouts needs a healthy test pool and clean matchmaking data. Activision’s anti-cheat posture is aimed at protecting that test, but strict security settings can also keep legitimate PC players out if they wait until launch hour to check their system.

For competitive players, the advice is direct: do the firmware check now, not when the beta opens. Use Activision’s Secure Attestation Wizard, watch the official tutorial if it flags a problem, verify Windows is current, and do not assume a high-end rig is compliant just because it runs other shooters well. Modern Warfare 4 PC requirements now include a trust check before the first match loads.