Support NeoGAF

[winjer]

Highguard requires Secure Boot to play, which might not be a popular move

You will also need a TPM.

www.pcgamer.com

If you happened to have caught the Game Awards trailer for it, Highguard, an upcoming free-to-play hero shooter from ex-developers of Apex Legends and Titanfall, launches next week. You will need to enable Secure Boot if you plan on playing through.

As we've spotted on the Highguard Steam page, the game needs Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and Easy Anti-Cheat to run. If you're wondering why that's a big deal, it's not to most gamers. If you have a Windows 11 PC with relatively new hardware, you should be able to enable all with little problem.

However, Secure Boot, as shown with the launch of Battlefield 6, tends to draw criticism. That's for three major reasons. The first is that Secure Boot is a kernel-level security measure, and anti-cheat software that uses it will effectively get privileged access to the inner sanctuary of your PC.

Secondly, older machines may not support Secure Boot or might not even have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which is used to store cryptographic keys. This means older machines are left in the dust.

However, one of the biggest complaints levied at Secure Boot is on behalf of Linux gamers. While Linux does have something called Secure Boot, that's not what game devs are tapping into. They want Windows. There are ways to get around it with virtual machines or streaming, but essentially, there's no casual route to playing these games without Windows.

However, Secure Boot and kernel-level anti-cheats are reportedly an effective way of dealing with cheaters, especially when the cost of entry to a free-to-play game is so low. If someone gets banned from playing Highguard, they simply need to use a different Steam account (and possibly use a VPN) to get around it.

 

[Three]

Don't most online games nowadays? That's why I try to have a separate go to gaming device that's not my PC.

 

[Generic]

Good thing I have a Ps5.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

And cheating still will happen.

 

[TrebleShot]

NO STEAM OS damn

 

[winjer]

NO STEAM OS damn

And no Steam Deck

 

[e0n]

Probably won't play it because of this, same as Valorant.

 

[Loomy]

Probably won't play it because of this, same as Valorant.

There's like 2 MP shooters that doesn't use kernel-level anti cheat.

 

[cormack12]

And cheating still will happen.

Yup

 

[e0n]

There's like 2 MP shooters that doesn't use kernel-level anti cheat.

This would require changing the BIOS settings, so like 3 games max compared to the thousands of other online multiplayer games.

 

[kevboard]

another game the Steam Machine wont be able to play... just bad news after bad news for that system bros how will it survive without Highguard?

 

[AzekZero]

If I have to install a rootkit to fight back against cheaters, I'm out.

I still like online MP but I'm very selective about what I get myself into.

 

[neo raider]

I guess I'll use my dusty xbox

 

[Goalus]

NO STEAM OS damn

Good.

 

[Three]

Probably won't play it because of this, same as Valorant.

What games don't have kernel level anticheat nowadays? Battlefield 6 has Javlin which is kernel-level. Call of Duty's RICOCHET is kernel-level. Every game has one now and there are still some cheaters.

 

[Durin]

Meanwhile Marvel Rivals just sits there without kernel level anti-cheat, having less cheating than games I've played with it.

 

[memoryman3]

Eventually Microsoft/Xbox will have their own anti cheat API that developers can use that will remove the requirements for kernel level anti cheat drivers.

Won't help Linux gaming at all though.

 

[e0n]

What games don't have kernel level anticheat nowadays? Battlefield 6 has Javlin which is kernel-level. Call of Duty's RICOCHET is kernel-level. Every game has one now and there are still some cheaters.

Do you not read anything past the heading? The article literally explains why it's more than just kernel anti-cheat software.

 

[Ozriel]

Highguard requires Secure Boot to play, which might not be a popular move

You will also need a TPM.

www.pcgamer.com

'Bold strategy' meme for potentially excluding 4% of the PC gaming audience?

Hmm

 

[Three]

Do you not read anything past the heading? The article literally explains why it's more than just kernel anti-cheat software.

Yes I do, what is your issue with it then apart from the kernel level anticheat? The secureboot requirement exists on the games I mentioned

Battlefield 6 requires Secure Boot to run and it's coming to more games soon, including Call of Duty Black Ops 7: here's what it is, why Linux gamers are mad about it, and how to enable it

It's a Windows thing.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Itchy Tickles]

Being "free-to-play" already had me not too bothered to play it because of what that normally means, even though I loved how Titanfall's guns act and feel. I usually don't mind all these cheat things, but when Steam says for some games, including this, you have to manually uninstall the anti-cheat yourself, never sits right with me. It feels like picking up someone else's dog's shit.

 

[e0n]

Yes I do, what is your issue with it then apart from the kernel level anticheat? The secureboot requirement exists on the games I mentioned

Battlefield 6 requires Secure Boot to run and it's coming to more games soon, including Call of Duty Black Ops 7: here's what it is, why Linux gamers are mad about it, and how to enable it

It's a Windows thing.

www.pcgamer.com

I don't even play COD/Battlefield. Most games do not require enabling boot protection which makes it a hassle if you ever need to dualboot/install other OSs.