Highguard, a highly anticipated free-to-play hero shooter from former Apex Legends and Titanfall developers, is set to launch next week. Players planning to dive into the game will need to ensure that Secure Boot is enabled on their systems. This requirement has drawn mixed reactions from the gaming community, particularly regarding how it impacts gamers with different hardware setups.
According to information available on the Highguard Steam page, players will also need TPM 2.0 and Easy Anti-Cheat for the game to run successfully. For those with modern Windows 11 PCs, enabling these features is typically straightforward. However, players using older hardware may find themselves at a disadvantage, as many older systems do not support Secure Boot or possess a Trusted Platform Module, potentially excluding a segment of the gaming community.
One of the larger concerns surrounding Secure Boot is its implications for Linux gamers. While there is a version of Secure Boot for Linux, game developers are primarily focused on Windows, leaving Linux users with limited options to access titles like Highguard without considerable workarounds. Players might resort to solutions like virtual machines or game streaming, but these aren’t ideal for the average user.
The introduction of Secure Boot and kernel-level anti-cheat systems has its advocates, particularly in combatting cheating in multiplayer environments. The low barrier to entry for free-to-play games, like Highguard, means that players who are banned can simply create a new account to continue playing, calling for more stringent measures to ensure fair play.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney previously addressed criticism of anti-cheat measures, stating that the company lacks confidence in their ability to combat cheating under varied kernel configurations, which has heightened concerns among some gamers.
Despite the challenges and criticism it faces, Highguard aims to capture a significant player base as it rolls out. While the backlash from certain quarters could prove a hurdle, the developers are undoubtedly hoping that their past experience in creating successful titles will draw in a dedicated audience. Those eager to join the battle will need to remember to enable the necessary security features ahead of the launch.