A TPM (Trusted Platform Module) is a security processor that creates and guards cryptographic keys and records how your PC started up. TPM 2.0 is the current version, and Windows 11 requires it. As of November 2026 it is a gaming requirement too: Battlefield 6 has enforced TPM 2.0 on PC since 31 August 2026, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 lists TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot as requirements.
You will see "TPM ban" in ban threads about those games. It is player shorthand, not an official penalty name.
| What it is | A security processor that creates and protects keys and measures the boot process |
|---|---|
| Current standard | TPM 2.0, published as ISO/IEC 11889:2015 |
| Windows 11 | Requires TPM 2.0 |
| Forms | Separate chip on the motherboard, or built into the processor (Intel PTT, AMD fTPM, Microsoft Pluton) |
| Games that check it | Battlefield 6, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Warzone and Modern Warfare 4; Delta Force prompts some PC players |
| "TPM ban" | Player shorthand for a hardware ban; EA says device ban, and Delta Force's anti-cheat says hardware ban |
| How to check | Windows Security, Device security, Security processor; or run tpm.msc |
What is a TPM?
A TPM, short for Trusted Platform Module, is a dedicated security processor on your PC's motherboard or inside its CPU. Microsoft describes the TPM as a secure crypto-processor with physical security mechanisms that make it tamper-resistant.
The Trusted Computing Group, an industry consortium, defines the TPM specifications, and the current version, TPM 2.0, is an ISO standard dating from 2015. TCG calls the TPM a hardware root of trust: it generates and stores keys, and it attests to the integrity of the platform it runs on.
Think of a TPM as a locked box with its own keys inside. Software can ask the TPM to sign or unlock something, and a TPM key can be set so it never leaves the chip.
The acronym has other meanings, such as Technical Performance Measure in project management. On a game's requirements list or a Windows error, TPM means this chip.
What does a TPM do on a Windows PC?
A TPM on a Windows PC does three jobs. It generates, stores and limits the use of cryptographic keys. It authenticates the device with a unique RSA key burned into the chip. And it helps prove platform integrity by recording measurements of the boot process.
You use those jobs every day without seeing them. BitLocker uses the TPM to protect the keys that encrypt your drive, so the data stays locked if the PC is lost or stolen. Windows Hello uses the TPM to store PINs and biometric data such as fingerprints. And during startup, the firmware and Windows boot components are measured and recorded in the TPM, which gives software evidence of how the PC started.
That last job feeds what you could call the reinstall myth, the belief that a clean Windows install wipes everything. Wiping Windows resets the software, not the chip: Microsoft states that TPM state persists across operating system installations.
Treat the TPM as part of the hardware, not part of the Windows install.
What is TPM 2.0, and why does Windows 11 need it?
TPM 2.0 is the current version of the TPM standard. The Trusted Computing Group's TPM 2.0 Library specification was approved as ISO/IEC 11889:2015, Parts 1 to 4, in 2015.
TCG lists what changed from TPM 1.2: support for more cryptographic algorithms, enhanced authorization, simpler management and extra security services for the platform.
Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0. TPM 2.0 in turn requires UEFI firmware, and Microsoft warns that a PC with legacy BIOS and TPM 2.0 won't work as expected. Microsoft also says most PCs shipped in the last 5 years are capable of running TPM 2.0.
Check the version number, not only whether a TPM exists. Windows 11 and the games below ask for 2.0, and a 1.2 chip does not meet that bar.
What are discrete, firmware and integrated TPMs?
A TPM comes in three common forms. For a game, the form matters less than whether TPM 2.0 is present and switched on.
- Discrete TPM: a separate chip on the motherboard.
- Firmware TPM: no separate chip; the TPM setting appears in firmware under a vendor name such as Intel PTT (Intel Platform Trust Technology), AMD fTPM switch or AMD PSP fTPM.
- Integrated TPM: Microsoft Pluton builds TPM functions directly into the CPU.
EA's wording for Battlefield 6 sums up the gaming rule: your PC must support TPM 2.0, and TPM 2.0 must be enabled. A TPM that exists but is switched off fails the check.
If you built your own PC, look for the vendor label in firmware, not the word TPM.
Why do games require TPM 2.0?
Games require TPM 2.0 because their anti-cheat needs a trusted starting point on the PC. Microsoft's Xbox and Windows security team describes TPM 2.0 as hardware-based secure key storage and a root of trust, and Secure Boot as the feature that lets only trusted software load during boot. Together they make it harder for a cheat to load before the anti-cheat does.
| Game | TPM 2.0 status | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Battlefield 6 | Required; strict enforcement live since 31 Aug 2026. Secure Boot required since 4 Aug 2025 | EA Help, Battlefield 6 news |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot required; players who miss them lose some modes, including Ranked Play | Activision Support |
| Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare 4 | TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot required; players who miss them can't play any online mode | Activision Support |
| Delta Force | Some PC players get a pop-up asking them to turn on TPM and Secure Boot | Garena manual, 23 Dec 2025 |
| Escape from Tarkov | Not in the Steam requirements; listed as a next step | Battlestate developer's diary, Apr 2026 |
EA's rollout in Battlefield 6 shows how a TPM rule tightens over time. EA kept allowances for players with TPM chip issues, then announced strict TPM 2.0 enforcement in its Season 4 anti-cheat update on 28 August 2026. Enforcement went live on 31 August 2026.
At the announcement, EA said 98.76% of players were already on fully enabled, compliant hardware, and that most of the other 1.24% were using emulators, spoofing their hardware compliance or tied to botting or cheating. For what that means after a penalty, see the breakdown of Javelin, TPM and BF6 bans.
Activision applies the same pair of checks to Call of Duty, with a different penalty for missing them in each game. The guide to a Call of Duty hardware ban in Black Ops 7 covers the penalty side.
Delta Force runs a lighter check, and says so in writing. Its Security Brief Vol. 3 (19 December 2025) says the game verifies two switches, whether TPM 2.0 is on and whether Secure Boot is on, once when you enter the lobby, and keeps that status for one week. If a penalty already landed, the guide to appealing a Delta Force device ban covers the steps.
Escape from Tarkov is the one to watch. Battlestate Games listed TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot among the next steps in its April 2026 anti-cheat diary, and the game's Steam requirements don't list either. For the rules that apply now, read how a Tarkov ban works under Battlestate.
Check the game's own support page before you change firmware settings. Requirements differ by title, and in Call of Duty they differ by mode.
What is a TPM ban?
A TPM ban, as of November 2026, is player shorthand for a hardware ban that may use the TPM as one of the identifiers tying a penalty to a PC. EA, Activision and Garena do not call any penalty a TPM ban on their TPM pages. EA's User Agreement says it can ban your device, and Delta Force's anti-cheat partner says hardware ban.
The idea rests on one documented fact. Microsoft says each TPM carries a unique RSA key, burned into the chip, for device authentication.
That fact is the burned-in key problem. The usual picture of hardware ID bans and component serials rests on numbers that software reads from disks, network adapters and motherboards. A TPM key is different: it is part of the chip.
Three official statements connect TPM to bans:
- Anti-Cheat Expert (ACE), the anti-cheat behind Delta Force, wrote in its first Delta Force security brief on 28 November 2025 that TPM "allows for significantly more accurate hardware bans", so a removed cheater stays removed.
- The Trusted Computing Group says TPM 2.0 capabilities "could also be used to prevent cheaters from spoofing their hardware to bypass any bans".
- EA lists spoofing and hardware ID manipulation among the cheats that Secure Boot and related features such as TPM help Battlefield 6 fight.
The statements also leave gaps, and that is where most forum panic starts. EA's Battlefield 6 anti-cheat posts don't say whether Javelin reads the TPM to identify a banned machine, and Delta Force's lobby check records only whether TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are on. Check any "TPM ban" claim against the publisher's own pages.
For the wider picture, start with the HWID meaning and the IDs behind it, then the guide on the ways people change hardware IDs on a PC. The rundown of which anti-cheat vendors ban hardware shows how each one treats a PC.
If a game shows a TPM or Secure Boot prompt, treat it as a setup step, not a ban notice. EA describes its Battlefield 6 message as a prompt indicating that Secure Boot is necessary, and Garena describes Delta Force's as a pop-up asking players to enable both settings.
How do you check if your PC has TPM 2.0?
You check for TPM 2.0 inside Windows. Microsoft documents two routes, and the first needs no typing.
- Open the Windows Security app and select Device security.
- Look for a Security processor section. If it is there, the PC has a TPM. If it is missing, the TPM may be turned off.
- Select Security processor details and read the Specification version. It shows 1.2 or 2.0.
The second route: press Windows key + R, type tpm.msc and choose OK. A Compatible TPM cannot be found message means the PC may have a TPM that is disabled. If the TPM is ready, check Specification Version under TPM Manufacturer Information.
Write down the version before you touch firmware. A 2.0 reading means the game check can pass once the setting is on.
How do you turn on TPM 2.0 for a game?
You turn on TPM 2.0 in the PC's UEFI firmware settings, not inside Windows. Microsoft notes that most retail motherboards sold to people building their own PC ship with TPM turned off by default.
- From Windows, open Recovery and choose Restart now, then Troubleshoot, Advanced options, UEFI Firmware Settings, Restart.
- Look in a sub-menu labeled Advanced, Security or Trusted Computing.
- Enable the setting labeled Security Device, Security Device Support, TPM State, AMD fTPM switch, AMD PSP fTPM, Intel PTT or Intel Platform Trust Technology. Labels vary by board.
- Save, restart and run
tpm.mscagain to confirm 2.0.
Microsoft's own walkthrough, Enable TPM 2.0 on your PC, sends you to the PC maker's support pages when a menu doesn't match. Battlefield 6 also needs Secure Boot, and the steps for enabling Secure Boot for Battlefield 6 sit in a separate guide.
Change one setting at a time and restart between changes, so you know which one fixed the prompt.
TPM FAQ
Is a TPM a chip or software?
A TPM is hardware. It is either a separate chip on the motherboard or TPM functions built into the processor, such as Intel PTT, AMD fTPM or Microsoft Pluton.
Does reinstalling Windows reset the TPM?
Reinstalling Windows does not reset the TPM. Microsoft states that TPM state persists across operating system installations; clearing the TPM is a separate step.
Can I play Battlefield 6 without TPM 2.0?
You can't play Battlefield 6 on PC without TPM 2.0. EA has enforced the requirement since 31 August 2026, and Secure Boot is required as well.
Does a TPM ban follow my PC?
A TPM ban is shorthand, and EA and Garena don't list which IDs their device bans read. Anti-Cheat Expert says TPM makes hardware bans more accurate, while EA's Battlefield 6 posts don't say whether Javelin uses the TPM to identify a banned machine.
Rules change. Check the publisher's official pages before you act on anything here.