Do You Need Secure Boot for Valorant

If VALORANT or Vanguard pops up a message about UEFI Secure Boot, it’s not just being dramatic. In most cases, it means this version requires UEFI Secure Boot to be enabled so you can play, and if it’s off, the game may block launch.

Does VALORANT require Secure Boot to play?

Yes. Most players who see this requirement message run into the same rule: VALORANT (via Riot Vanguard) expects UEFI Secure Boot to be enabled.

You might see wording like:

• “This version of Vanguard requires UEFI Secure Boot to be enabled in order to play.”
• “Valorant requires UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to run.”

If you got an error screen for this, that screen is basically your answer. VALORANT needs it on.

What VALORANT’s Secure Boot messages usually mean (UEFI Secure Boot requirement)

Those pop-ups usually point to a simple issue: your PC’s Secure Boot setting isn’t enabled in the way Vanguard expects.

Here’s what the common phrasing translates to:

• “requires UEFI Secure Boot” = Turn on UEFI Secure Boot in your motherboard/BIOS settings.
• “SecureBoot is Off” = Secure Boot is currently not ON (at least as Vanguard sees it), or you enabled the wrong related option (like the wrong boot mode).
• “requires… TPM 2.0” = You also need TPM 2.0 enabled/available alongside Secure Boot.

The messages are specific for a reason. When the game says UEFI, you usually can’t just “turn on security features” in Windows. You typically have to change a BIOS/UEFI setting.

Secure Boot vs TPM 2.0: what the error snippets point to

Some messages mention both items together. One common result is: Valorant requires UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to run.

So if you’re trying to figure out what to fix, it helps to separate them:

• Secure Boot = a firmware (UEFI/BIOS) security feature.
• TPM 2.0 = a hardware security module requirement that Windows and security tools can use.

When both show up in the error, don’t stop at Secure Boot alone. Check both:

• Is UEFI Secure Boot actually ON?
• Is TPM 2.0 enabled/available?

Can I play Valorant without Secure Boot?

If your game says it requires UEFI Secure Boot to be enabled, then you generally can’t play without it.

That doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. It just means your current setup doesn’t meet the requirement Vanguard is checking.

Some people also get blocked because they can’t enable Secure Boot given how their system is set up. In those cases, Vanguard will still show the requirement message.

Should you have Secure Boot on or off for Valorant?

For VALORANT, the direction is straightforward:

• Should I have Secure Boot on or off for Valorant?

Have it ON. The requirement messages say it must be enabled.

If you’re stuck between “on vs off,” pick on, then follow the error wording to the next check (often TPM 2.0 too).

How to enable UEFI Secure Boot for VALORANT on Windows 11 (high level)

You’ll usually handle this outside of Windows first (in your motherboard firmware), then confirm inside Windows.

High-level steps:

1. Restart your PC.
2. Enter your BIOS/UEFI settings. On many PCs, this happens during boot by pressing a key like Del, F2, or Esc (the exact key depends on your device).
3. Find the Secure Boot option.
4. Set Secure Boot to ON.
5. Save changes and boot back into Windows.
6. Launch VALORANT again and see if the error changes.

Two quick notes:

• VALORANT cares about UEFI Secure Boot, not just “a security setting” in Windows.
• If the game mentions TPM 2.0, you’ll likely need to address that too.

What to do if VALORANT says SecureBoot is Off even when it’s enabled

This is the annoying part: you enabled it, but Vanguard still complains. If you see the pattern like “This message shows that SecureBoot is Off,” assume Vanguard isn’t seeing the setting as ON in the way it expects.

Try this in order:

1. Go back into BIOS/UEFI and confirm Secure Boot is really ON.

Sometimes the setting doesn’t “stick,” or your PC boots in a mode that doesn’t match what you set.

1. Make sure you changed the correct Secure Boot setting.

Some BIOS menus include multiple related options. You want the system to report Secure Boot as enabled.

1. If the message also mentions TPM 2.0, check that too.

In many cases, UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 are both required.

1. Restart and re-test after the BIOS change.

If Vanguard checks at startup, you’ll want a clean reboot, not just returning to the game.

Quick decoder:

• If the game says SecureBoot is Off, enable BIOS Secure Boot ON.
• If it also mentions TPM 2.0, enable TPM 2.0 or make sure it’s available.

Does VALORANT use Secure Boot on Windows 10 too?

Yes. This requirement isn’t limited to Windows 11.

VALORANT uses Riot Vanguard to check the platform security conditions. So if you’re on Windows 10 and you see a message that says it requires UEFI Secure Boot (or that SecureBoot is Off), the fix is still to enable UEFI Secure Boot in BIOS/UEFI.

The Windows version mainly changes where you verify things inside Windows, not the underlying Secure Boot requirement. The key change still comes from your motherboard settings.

Troubleshooting: common Secure Boot + Vanguard setup issues

Use this as a quick, question-first checklist. Match the wording from your error screen to the next step.

“Requires UEFI Secure Boot to be enabled in order to play”

• Do this next: Turn UEFI Secure Boot ON in your BIOS/UEFI.
• Then: Reboot and launch again.
• Also check: If the message includes TPM 2.0, don’t ignore it.

“SecureBoot is Off”

• Do this next: In BIOS/UEFI, set Secure Boot to ON.
• If you already did: double-check you changed the right setting and that it stayed enabled after saving.
• Then: Restart and try again.

“Requires UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0”

• Do this next: Confirm both:
• UEFI Secure Boot is ON
• TPM 2.0 is enabled/available
• Launch VALORANT after both are addressed.

“Secure boot error, but it looks enabled”

This is where most people waste time.

• Re-check BIOS/UEFI settings first.
• Make sure you saved your changes before exiting.
• If Vanguard is checking at startup, do a full reboot and try again.

If you’re stuck, use the troubleshooting section to figure out which exact message you’re seeing and which setting to check next. When you match the wording—“requires UEFI Secure Boot” vs “SecureBoot is Off” vs the version that also mentions TPM 2.0—you usually get to the right fix faster.