Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat...Why?

I was actually looking forward to trying Battlefield 6, but I ended up uninstalling it pretty quickly once I realized the changes I’d have to make to my system to accommodate it. I understand wanting to deal with cheaters, but requiring Secure Boot and kernel-level anti-cheat is a deal breaker for me.

That level of access isn’t small. You’re talking about software running at the same level as the operating system, with deep visibility into your system, plus Secure Boot enforcing what can and can’t run at startup. For a lot of people that might not seem like a big deal, but it’s something I think more players should at least understand before agreeing to it.

I work in IT, so my PC isn’t just for gaming. I use virtualization, system tools, and different configurations that rely on flexibility. With setups like that, this kind of anti-cheat can cause real issues. There have already been reports of conflicts with things like virtualization features, Windows security settings, and even system crashes tied to anti-cheat drivers. That’s not something I’m willing to risk on a machine I depend on for more than just games.

At the end of the day, I’m not willing to change how my system is set up or give that level of access just to play a game. If things ever move in a less invasive direction or offer more transparency, I’d be open to giving it another shot. But for now, I’m stepping away.

I'm sure I speak for the vast majority of PC players who would greatly appreciate you changing to an anti-cheat that doesn't run at the kernel level. It is absolutely not necessary to have that level access and visibility  to a user's system. I would have to trust you as a company and frankly I don't.