Activision has responded to widespread player concerns regarding cheating in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, announcing plans to allow console players in Ranked Play to disable crossplay with PC players. The prevalence of cheating since the introduction of Ranked Play in Season 1 of both titles last year has become a major point of contention within the community, with many feeling it negatively impacts competitive gameplay.
Activision's Team Ricochet, responsible for anti-cheat technology, acknowledged shortcomings in the Season 1 launch, stating that their anti-cheat integration "did not hit the mark, particularly for Ranked Play." However, they've since implemented several updates.
A recent blog post details Activision's 2025 anti-cheat strategy, 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 significant kernel-level driver update. Further advancements, including a new 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 it.
A key immediate change with Season 2 is the introduction of crossplay disabling for console players in Ranked Play for Black Ops 6 and Warzone. This addresses the widely held belief that a significant portion of cheating originates on PC, mirroring the practice already adopted by many console players in standard Multiplayer. Activision will closely monitor the impact of this change and consider further adjustments to maintain game integrity.
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, resulting in several high-profile successes. Prior to the launch of Black Ops 6, Activision aimed for a one-hour ban timeframe for cheaters after their first match, implementing an updated kernel-level driver and machine-learning systems to detect aimbots and other cheating behaviors. Activision recognizes the sophisticated and organized nature of cheat developers, emphasizing their continuous efforts to identify and remove cheaters from the game.
