The highly-anticipated open beta for Battlefield 6, developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts (EA), launched on August 7, 2025, with early access, followed by general access starting August 9. With a record-breaking peak of over 472,600 concurrent players on Steam, the beta has set a new milestone for the Battlefield franchise, surpassing previous titles in player engagement. However, despite the excitement surrounding the beta, the persistent issue of cheating has cast a shadow over the testing phase, prompting EA to address the problem head-on with their advanced anti-cheat system, Javelin, and a mandatory Secure Boot requirement for PC players.
The Battlefield 6 open beta, available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, offers players a first look at the game’s revamped multiplayer experience, including iconic modes like Conquest, Breakthrough, and Rush, as well as a glimpse of the returning Battlefield Portal. The beta’s first weekend, running from August 9 to August 10, with a second weekend scheduled from August 14 to August 17, has drawn massive participation, fueled by the game’s promise to recapture the magic of Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4. Early access, granted to Battlefield Labs participants and select Twitch viewers, began on August 7, further amplifying the hype.
The beta’s success is evident in its Steam performance, where it ranks among the platform’s top games, trailing only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 in concurrent players. Despite server struggles during the initial influx, the overwhelming turnout underscores the community’s enthusiasm for Battlefield 6, set to release fully on October 10, 2025.
Despite the positive reception, cheating has emerged as a significant concern during the beta. EA’s Javelin anti-cheat system, paired with the requirement for Secure Boot on PC, was designed to create a fair and secure gaming environment. Secure Boot, a UEFI-based feature that verifies the integrity of a system’s boot process, aims to block rootkits, kernel-level cheats, and other malicious software that could compromise gameplay. Javelin, introduced in Battlefield 2042 and refined for Battlefield 6, operates at the kernel level to detect and prevent cheating attempts, boasting a reported accuracy rate of over 99% across 28 million players and 2.2 billion gaming sessions.
However, these measures have not fully deterred cheaters. In a recent post, the EA Anticheat Team provided insight into the scale of the issue, stating:
Javelin has prevented 330,000 attempts to cheat or tamper with anti-cheat controls.
You’ve reported 44,000 instances of potential cheaters during day one and another 60,000 so far today.
We are already using these with our own Gameplay Integrity team to add and improve our detections for Battlefield 6. They are also working with the Battlefield Positive Play team, to actively remove those reported we confirm to be cheaters.
This data highlights the sheer volume of cheating attempts, with 330,000 blocked efforts nearly matching the beta’s concurrent player count on Steam. The high number of player reports—44,000 on the first day and an additional 60,000 on the second—underscores the community’s vigilance and the ongoing challenge of maintaining fair play in a popular first-person shooter.
EA’s Anti-Cheat Strategy
EA’s approach to combating cheating in Battlefield 6 builds on lessons learned from previous titles, particularly Battlefield 2042, which also implemented Secure Boot earlier in 2025. The Javelin system is tailored to address specific cheating threats, including memory manipulation, hardware ID spoofing, and virtual machine emulation. By requiring Secure Boot, EA ensures that only trusted software runs during the Windows boot process, reducing the risk of kernel-level exploits. The Battlefield Positive Play team complements these efforts by leveraging player reports to identify and ban confirmed cheaters, enhancing detection algorithms with real-time data.
Despite these robust measures, some players have bypassed Secure Boot and Javelin, with reports of cheaters using exploits like real-time enemy tracking, undermining the competitive integrity of the beta. EA acknowledges that Secure Boot is not a standalone solution but a critical component of a broader anti-cheat framework. The company is actively refining its systems, using beta data to strengthen protections before the game’s full launch.
Implications for the Full Release
The prevalence of cheating in the Battlefield 6 open beta serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing modern multiplayer games, particularly first-person shooters, where cheating is a pervasive issue. EA’s transparency in sharing cheating statistics and their commitment to addressing the problem reflect a proactive stance, but the effectiveness of these measures will be tested in the coming weeks. The beta phase is a critical opportunity for DICE to identify vulnerabilities and fine-tune Javelin and other security features.
As Battlefield 6 approaches its October 10 release, EA faces pressure to deliver a polished and fair experience. The game’s ambitious goal of reaching 100 million players is tempered by technical hurdles, including the Secure Boot requirement, which excludes Linux-based systems and Steam Deck compatibility. While Secure Boot is standard on most modern Windows 10 and 11 PCs, its mandatory implementation has sparked debate among players wary of modifying BIOS settings or granting kernel-level access to anti-cheat software.
The Battlefield 6 open beta represents a pivotal moment for the franchise, offering a glimpse of its potential to reclaim its status as a leading FPS title. While cheating remains a significant obstacle, EA’s investment in Javelin and Secure Boot demonstrates a commitment to fostering a positive gaming environment. The data collected during the beta will be instrumental in refining anti-cheat measures, ensuring that the full release delivers the fair and thrilling experience that fans expect.
With the second beta weekend approaching and the full launch just two months away, all eyes are on DICE and EA to address these challenges and restore confidence in the Battlefield series. For now, players can continue to report suspicious activity, contributing to the ongoing effort to make Battlefield 6 a beacon of fair play in the competitive gaming landscape.
