Fortnite boosts anti-cheat measures for esports tournaments in 2026

On February 19th, 2026, Epic Games introduced new anti-cheat requirements for PC tournament players. They'll have to enable Secure Boot, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU) on their PCs in order to compete.

The great news is that these have already been enabled on recent PCs running Windows 11, while others won't have an issue enabling them. Even better, these changes apply only to competitive players. Keep reading as we explore these new requirements, what they mean, the implications, and why Epic Games is putting them in place. So, let's have a closer look.

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Why is Epic Games expanding its Anti-Cheat protections?

Cheating is a problem in many competitive tournaments, from Call of Duty to Fortnite. This does not come as a surprise, considering that tournament winners can claim rewards totaling millions of dollars. What's more, there are sponsorships and many other benefits at stake, making it essential that gameplay remains fair.

Epic Games is a huge company and hosts many global tournaments and online events that draw in millions of players. In fact, these events are featured on many betting sites where bettors can wager on outcomes. With this kind of reach, you might expect that cheaters won't be a major issue. However, this is not the case, as cheat creators are also developing more advanced software to evade standard anti-cheat mechanisms.

How are cheaters evading security measures?

Players who evade anti-cheat software use cheat programs that either integrate with the system kernel or operate as a hypervisor. This makes it impossible for the anti-cheat systems to detect them, giving the cheaters a free hand.

For this reason, Epic Games and other developers have also stepped up their efforts by introducing more advanced anti-cheat systems. These new systems require players to enable certain security features, which cheaters must disable for their unauthorized software to work. The goal is to restore fairness in tournaments and ensure that only competitors who deserve it claim the top prize.

How is Fortnite expanding its anti-cheat measures?

Fortnite now requires players participating in PC tournaments to use three new technologies to ensure a more secure environment. Let's have a look at each feature.

Secure Boot

This feature has been around for a while and is available on most modern computer systems. It is a security feature that allows only trusted software to load when players turn on their PCs. With this enabled, shady programs, such as those embedded in the system kernel, will be unable to launch when the PC is turned on.

Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

This is another common security feature that you can find on modern computer systems. Manufacturers add this dedicated hardware component to motherboards, allowing it to store encryption keys and verify the integrity of processes. This makes it impossible for cheaters to use unauthorized software to enter games or bypass bans.

Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU)

The IOMMU is one of the more recent anti-cheat requirements. It is part of the motherboard and also ensures that no unauthorized device ican access your system memory. It is compatible with most PCs running Windows 11, so it is not a requirement that players will find difficult to meet. However, it must be enabled in the BIOS, and it serves as a check against devices used by cheaters even before the system starts up.

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Who do these requirements affect?

These new security measures apply to PC players participating in official Fortnite tournaments. If you are a casual player who wants to just enjoy Fortnite games, you won't have to worry about this problem. As mentioned earlier, any player who wants to be part of this competitive event must turn on the required security features before they can enter.

These settings are enabled by default on most PCs, especially those running more recent Windows versions. However, as mentioned earlier, you can manually enable them in your BIOS or UEFI settings if they are disabled. All you have to do is restart your system and access the firmware configuration menu. You'll find lots of guides on this if you run a quick search on Google.

Other measures against cheaters

Aside from the technical measures, Epic Games is still taking other routes to deal with cheaters. For instance, it previously sued cheat developers and individuals selling hacked software and accounts. The idea is to make it known that cheating is not allowed in Fortnite.

Another great example is Sebastian Araujo, a tournament cheater. He claimed the $6,850 prize money, but this soon turned into a legal battle, costing him $175,000 in fees. Epic took things further by banning his account, and using the DMCA and Copyright Act, it was able to get a default judgment that required the cheater to pay 25x his actual winnings.

This is a very steep price to pay for cheating and will most likely deter many in the future.

Conclusion: The battle against cheaters is never-ending

Cheaters are always evolving, and the new requirements from Fortnite are a good step in getting ahead of new cheat software. By requiring competitive players to use features like Secure Boot, TPM, and IOMMU, it is well on its way to ensuring a safe gaming environment.

Even better, this change only applies to competitive players, meaning casual gamers can keep things fun as usual. As things continue to evolve, Epic Games will surely add better security measures, and we'll be sure to update you on our esports news page if any changes arise.

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