Epic Games is cracking down on Fortnite cheaters by implementing stricter hardware security standards for PC-based tournaments. Starting February 19, PC gamers are now required to ensure that the IOMMU protection feature is enabled on their PC, aside from the existing security features such as the secure boot feature and TPM.
IOMMU (Input/Output Memory Management Unit), a low-level device function, is used to manage device access to system memory. This device function is being deployed as another layer of protection against highly sophisticated Fortnite cheats that make use of devices such as those found in a DMA tool. This is aside from the fact that the game is already employing Easy Anti-Cheat for software-related cheats.
The change will be felt in tournaments on the PC platform. The change will not be observable in casual or even ranked BR matches. Therefore, players can regularly queue up as they did before. Players who attempt to participate in tournaments without meeting the new requirements will not be banned. The clarification has already been given by Epic.
Most modern Windows 11 machines come with Secure Boot and TPM turned on out of the box, and many newer motherboards also support IOMMU by default. Players on older or custom-built rigs may need to dive into their BIOS settings to flip these switches, a potentially intimidating process for those uninitiated into this technological alchemy.
This is the latest move in Epic Games’ broad crusade against cheating. The publisher has already sued cheat sellers and banned the use of hardware manipulation tools. Additionally, they have tightened policies for restricted events like the FNCS. With the inclusion of the IOMMU technology, the competitive Fortnite scene for the PC platform is emerging to look increasingly secure in the way that console players might be used to.