Microsoft sets Windows 11 security bar for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

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Alongside the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Microsoft has reiterated how Windows 11’s security stack is meant to keep competitive play fair. The company says modern cheats increasingly target a PC before the operating system fully verifies trust, which is why hardware-backed protections are central to anti-cheat efforts. Microsoft highlights a standards-based approach built with hardware makers and anti-cheat providers, designed to create a verifiable “trusted state” for play. When these features stay enabled, developers can better identify tampering and protect multiplayer integrity.

Microsoft notes that these same foundations mirror what secures the Xbox platform – and that anti-cheat providers are already leveraging them on Windows 11. The message to PC players is straightforward: keep security features on, update regularly and expect more games to lean on these requirements.

What Microsoft is standardising for fair play

According to Microsoft, cheating has moved beyond simple memory edits to techniques that try to load early in the boot chain. To counter this, Windows 11 relies on a layered, hardware-rooted approach that developers and anti-cheat solutions can verify. The goal is a consistent baseline across devices so multiplayer systems can trust what runs before, during and around a game.

• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 – provides hardware-based key storage and a cryptographic root of trust that Windows and games can query.
• Secure Boot – ensures only trusted software loads during startup, extending trust from the TPM through hardware initialization to Windows boot.
• Virtualization-based Security (VBS) – creates an isolated environment that makes it harder for unauthorized code to tamper with games or anti-cheat services.
• Remote Attestation – supplies verifiable, cryptographic evidence of the hardware and Windows boot process so services can confirm a PC’s trusted state.

Microsoft positions these components as a cohesive standard for Windows 11 gaming – a model already proven on consoles and now being adopted by anti-cheat partners on PC.

Player checklist: preparing a PC for trusted multiplayer

Microsoft stresses that security only works if it remains enabled – players play a role in keeping protections active and up to date. Here is the company’s guidance, distilled into practical steps:

• Install Windows 11 updates – regular patches bring security enhancements that strengthen anti-cheat reliability.
• Apply firmware/BIOS updates – check your manufacturer’s tools or support pages for the latest firmware to close emerging pre-boot gaps.
• Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot – many gaming PCs ship with these on by default; custom or older builds may need manual activation in firmware settings.
• Review game-specific requirements – major titles such as Call of Duty and Valorant publish security prerequisites for compliant, fair online play.

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The intent is to maintain a consistent, trusted baseline across PCs, making it easier for developers to distinguish legitimate play from manipulated environments.

Why this matters for Black Ops 7 and beyond

Microsoft ties the guidance to the arrival of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, noting that more contemporary multiplayer titles are embracing hardware-backed verification. The company indicates players should expect wider adoption of TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and VBS as anti-cheat solutions advance. Major games already document their security expectations, and Windows 11 is designed to meet them with verifiable trust signals.

Crucially, Microsoft frames this as an ongoing effort: as cheats evolve, so will the protections and the standards that games rely on. Keeping security features enabled today helps studios preserve fair competition tomorrow.

The takeaway – a clearer path to trusted competitive play

Microsoft’s message is clear: hardware-rooted security is now part of the competitive baseline on PC. By running Windows 11 with TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, VBS and Remote Attestation active – and by staying updated – players help ensure their systems meet the trust checks that modern anti-cheat tools expect. For Black Ops 7 and the next wave of multiplayer launches, that trusted state is increasingly the difference between seamless matchmaking and being flagged for risky configurations.