Activision Tackles Call of Duty Cheating with New Anti-Cheat Measures and Crossplay Options
Activision has responded to widespread player concerns regarding cheating in Call of Duty's Black Ops 6 and Warzone, announcing significant updates to its anti-cheat strategy and offering console players in Ranked Play the option to disable crossplay with PC players.
The surge in cheating reports, particularly following the introduction of Ranked Play in Season 1 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone, has prompted considerable backlash from the community. Activision's Team Ricochet, responsible for the Ricochet anti-cheat system, previously acknowledged shortcomings in its Season 1 launch, stating that the anti-cheat integration "did not hit the mark, particularly for Ranked Play."
A recent blog post details Activision's 2025 anti-cheat roadmap. The company revealed over 136,000 Ranked Play account bans since the mode's launch and highlighted improvements for Season 2, including enhanced client-side and server-side detection systems, and a major kernel-level driver update. Further advancements, including a novel player authentication system designed to identify and target cheaters, are promised for Season 3 and beyond. Specific details on this new system are being withheld to prevent cheat developers from exploiting the technology.
A key immediate change for Season 2 is the introduction of console crossplay disabling in Ranked Play for Black Ops 6 and Warzone. This addresses the prevalent belief that a significant portion of cheating originates from PC players, a concern that has led console players to routinely disable crossplay in standard Multiplayer for years.
Activision stated that they will "monitor closely and will consider further changes to prioritize the integrity of the ecosystem," promising more details closer to the feature's release.
While Activision's anti-cheat efforts are often met with skepticism, the company has invested heavily in its anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat developers, achieving several high-profile victories. Prior to Black Ops 6's launch, Activision aimed for a one-hour ban timeframe for cheaters after their first match. The game launched with an updated Ricochet kernel-level driver (also applied to Warzone) incorporating new machine-learning systems focused on rapid detection and gameplay analysis to counter aimbots.
Activision acknowledges the sophisticated nature of cheat developers, describing them as "organized, illegal groups" that actively seek vulnerabilities within the game. However, the company maintains that cheat developers inevitably leave traces, allowing Activision to identify and remove them.
