Does WARDOGS require Secure Boot or TPM? What BULKHEAD has said, and how to turn them on
Not required at launch. WARDOGS uses kernel-level anti-cheat, and Steam lists no Secure Boot or TPM condition. But BULKHEAD's founder has said the studio's "professional dev opinion was turn it on", that 88% of WARDOGS players already have Secure Boot enabled and 96% have TPM, and that they won't enforce it "if people hate it". Read that as: it's coming if the community doesn't revolt. Turning it on now costs you nothing and saves a launch-night scramble if a patch starts checking.
Where it stands
- Steam store page: Windows 10 64-bit minimum, kernel-level anti-cheat, no Secure Boot or TPM line.
- BULKHEAD (Joe Brammer, on X): enforcing Secure Boot is "one of the best steps against cheaters we can take", other games "got annihilated in public for forcing it", 88% of players have it on, 96% have TPM, they won't enforce it if players hate it, but the developers' recommendation is to enforce it.
- The launch build does not check it. A future patch might; this page will change the day it does.
Why anti-cheats want it
Secure Boot stops unsigned code loading before Windows starts, which is exactly how the nastier cheat drivers get under a kernel anti-cheat. TPM gives the anti-cheat a hardware identity to ban, so a banned cheater can't just make a new Steam account. Together they're the reason games like Valorant and Battlefield 6 enforce both.
Check yours in ten seconds
Win+R → msinfo32 → System Summary:
| Line | Want |
|---|---|
| BIOS Mode | UEFI |
| Secure Boot State | On |
TPM: Win+R → tpm.msc → "The TPM is ready for use", Specification Version 2.0.
Turning Secure Boot on
- If BIOS Mode says Legacy, your Windows disk is MBR. Convert first: open an admin Command Prompt and run
mbr2gpt /validate /allowFullOS, thenmbr2gpt /convert /allowFullOS, then switch the BIOS from CSM/Legacy to UEFI. Back up first. - Reboot into the BIOS (Del or F2 at power-on).
- Boot / Security tab → Secure Boot: Enabled. On some boards you must first set "Secure Boot Mode" to Standard or load default keys.
- Save, reboot, re-run
msinfo32.
Intel boards: TPM is "PTT" under Advanced → PCH-FW. AMD boards: "fTPM" under Advanced → CPU or AMD CBS. Enable it the same way.
What can go wrong
- Won't boot after enabling: almost always the MBR/Legacy case above. Turn Secure Boot off, convert the disk, try again.
- Dual-boot Linux: modern distros boot with Secure Boot via shim; old ones don't.
- Unsigned drivers (some old peripheral or fan-control drivers) stop loading. Update them.
- Old GPUs without a UEFI GOP driver (pre-2013) can't POST with Secure Boot on. Not a concern on anything that meets the WARDOGS minimum spec.
If BULKHEAD flips it
Expect the launcher to refuse at "Connecting to the anti-cheat service" with a message naming Secure Boot. The fix is the section above; no reinstall needed. Launcher stages and errors are on the launcher page.
FAQ
Does WARDOGS need Secure Boot?
Not at launch. The Steam page lists Windows 10 64-bit and nothing else. BULKHEAD has openly discussed enforcing it later and asked players whether they'd accept it.
Does WARDOGS need TPM 2.0?
Not at launch. Same position: not required now, being considered.
How do I check if Secure Boot is on?
Win+R, type msinfo32, look at "Secure Boot State" on the System Summary page.
Will enabling Secure Boot break anything?
Only if your Windows drive is MBR rather than GPT, or you run unsigned drivers. Most PCs built since 2018 turn it on in the BIOS with no other change.
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