If you’ve tried launching Valorant after a recent update only to be hit with a pop-up telling you to enable Secure Boot, you’re not alone. Thousands of players ran into this roadblock when Riot Games rolled out the mandatory setting for its Vanguard anti-cheat system a while back, and it’s left many confused about why the requirement exists at all. We’re breaking down why does Valorant need Secure Boot, what risks it mitigates, and how you can adjust your settings if you’re running into launch issues without messing up the rest of your PC setup.
Why Does Valorant Need Secure Boot For Its Anti-Cheat System?
The short answer comes down to the design of Riot’s Vanguard anti-cheat, which operates at the kernel level of your operating system to catch even the most sophisticated hacks. Vanguard’s kernel-level anti-cheat design means it has deep access to your system’s processes, which is great for catching cheaters, but it also creates a gap that bad actors used to exploit regularly before the Secure Boot requirement was rolled out. Cheaters figured out they could load unsigned, malicious cheat drivers during the boot process, before Vanguard even starts running, letting them bypass all of the anti-cheat’s real-time scans entirely.
Secure Boot is a UEFI/BIOS setting that only allows digitally signed, trusted software and drivers to run during your PC’s boot sequence. That means any unsigned, modified drivers (including the ones cheaters use to hide their hacks) get blocked before they can do any damage. I’ve spoken to a group of regular Valorant players I queue with, and we all noticed a steep drop in obvious cheaters in ranked and unrated lobbies alike in the months after the Secure Boot requirement went into effect. It’s not a perfect fix for cheating, but it’s closed one of the biggest gaps cheaters used to exploit for years.
What Security Risks Does The Secure Boot Requirement Prevent?
The Secure Boot rule isn’t just about stopping cheaters, either. It also protects you from a range of common security threats that target gaming PCs specifically, since gaming accounts often have linked payment info and valuable in-game items that are attractive to hackers. The three biggest risks the requirement blocks are:
- Unsigned kernel-mode cheat drivers that bypass Vanguard’s real-time scans by loading before the anti-cheat does, letting cheaters use wallhacks, aimbots, and spin bots without being detected
- Bootkits and rootkits that can steal your Valorant account credentials, payment info linked to your Riot account, and personal data from your PC without you ever noticing
- Tampered operating system versions that are modified to let cheaters run undetectable hacks without triggering standard anti-cheat alerts, and that often come preloaded with malware
Kernel-level access gives software almost full control over your PC, so any malicious code that gets that level of access can do serious damage. Before the Secure Boot requirement, it was fairly common for players to download fake “Valorant skin generators” or cheat tools that installed rootkits on their PCs, leading to stolen accounts and even identity theft in some cases. The Secure Boot requirement blocks almost all of these types of attacks by default, as long as you keep the setting enabled.
Common Myths About Valorant’s Secure Boot Requirement Debunked
There’s a lot of misinformation floating around about the Secure Boot requirement, and most of it is rooted in frustration from players who ran into launch issues when the rule first rolled out. One of the most common myths I see is that Riot is using Secure Boot to spy on players or collect extra data from their PCs. That’s completely false: Secure Boot is a setting built into your PC’s motherboard, and Riot only gets a simple confirmation that the setting is enabled, no extra data about your files, browsing history, or other software on your PC is shared.
Another common myth is that enabling Secure Boot will break all your other games and apps. For 98% of players, this isn’t true at all. You won’t lose access to any of your legally purchased games or software when you enable Secure Boot, as all modern software uses signed drivers that are trusted by the system. The only exceptions are extremely old hardware from before 2012 that only supports Legacy BIOS, or pirated software that uses modified, unsigned drivers to bypass DRM checks. Riot’s own hardware survey data shows less than 2% of active Valorant players fall into the category of having hardware that doesn’t support Secure Boot.
Many players also argue that the requirement shouldn’t apply to people who only play casual, unranked game modes. But cheaters don’t just target ranked lobbies – they flood unrated, spike rush, and even custom game lobbies too, because it’s easier for them to test hacks without getting reported by competitive players. The requirement also protects your account from being hacked, which matters no matter what game mode you prefer to play.
How To Fix Valorant Secure Boot Launch Errors Without Headaches
If you’re getting a Secure Boot error when you try to launch Valorant, the fix is usually pretty simple, and takes less than 10 minutes for most players. First, you need to confirm that your PC supports UEFI mode, which is required for Secure Boot to work. You can check this by typing “System Information” into your Windows search bar, and looking for the “BIOS Mode” entry – if it says UEFI, you’re good to go, if it says Legacy, you’ll need to switch to UEFI mode in your BIOS first.
To enable Secure Boot, restart your PC and press the BIOS access key while it’s booting up – this is usually F2, F10, or Del, depending on your motherboard brand. Once you’re in the BIOS menu, look for the Secure Boot setting (it’s usually under the Security or Boot tab) and toggle it on. You don’t need to disable TPM 2.0 or any other security settings to make this work, contrary to some bad advice you might see on social media. Save your changes and exit the BIOS, and your PC will restart normally.
If you still get an error after enabling Secure Boot, the most common cause is old, unsigned drivers on your PC, usually for old printers, scanners, or custom gaming peripherals. You can fix this by downloading the latest signed drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website for any hardware you use. Never download third-party tools to bypass the Secure Boot requirement – these are almost always loaded with malware that will steal your account credentials and personal data, and you’ll get banned from Valorant if Riot detects you’re using one.
At the end of the day, the Secure Boot requirement can feel like a nuisance if you’re just trying to jump into a quick game with friends, but it’s a critical measure to keep the Valorant ecosystem fair and safe for every player. Now that you understand why does Valorant need Secure Boot, you can adjust your settings confidently knowing you’re not just avoiding launch errors – you’re also protecting your account and your PC from a wide range of common security threats. If you still run into persistent issues after following the steps we outlined, you can reach out to Riot’s official support team for personalized help, but most players can get the game running smoothly with just a couple of quick BIOS adjustments.
