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 since the introduction of Ranked Play in Season 1 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone, has sparked considerable outrage within the community. Activision's Team Ricochet, responsible for anti-cheat technology, previously acknowledged shortcomings in the Season 1 launch, stating that their anti-cheat integration "did not hit the mark," especially in Ranked Play.

A recent blog post details Activision's 2025 anti-cheat roadmap, revealing over 136,000 Ranked Play account bans since the mode's launch. Season 2 will introduce enhanced client and server-side detection systems, along with 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 on PC, mirroring a long-standing practice among console players in standard Multiplayer who have routinely disabled crossplay.

Activision assures continued monitoring and potential future adjustments to maintain game integrity, promising further updates as the crossplay disabling feature approaches launch.

While Activision's anti-cheat efforts are often met with skepticism, the company has invested heavily in its Ricochet anti-cheat technology and pursued legal action against cheat developers, achieving notable successes. 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 kernel-level driver and machine-learning systems for improved detection and analysis of gameplay to counter aimbots. Activision acknowledges the sophisticated nature of cheat developers, describing them as organized, profit-driven groups actively seeking vulnerabilities within the game. However, the company remains confident in its ability to identify and remove cheaters through continuous monitoring and analysis of player data.