Activision Will Let Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Console Players Disable Crossplay With PC as Cheating Complaints Ramp Up

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 introducing a much-requested crossplay option.

The surge in cheating reports, particularly since the introduction of Ranked Play in Black Ops 6 and Warzone last year, has sparked considerable outrage within the Call of Duty community. Many players believe the prevalence of cheaters is severely impacting the competitive experience. Activision previously acknowledged shortcomings in its initial anti-cheat implementation for Season 1, admitting that the Ricochet Anti-Cheat system did not meet expectations.

A recent blog post details Activision's comprehensive plan to combat cheating in 2025. The company revealed over 136,000 Ranked Play accounts have been banned since the mode's launch. Season 2 will see improvements to both client-side and server-side detection systems, along with a substantial kernel-level driver update. Further enhancements, 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 for Ranked Play in Black Ops 6 and Warzone. This allows console players to opt out of playing against PC players, a feature long requested by the community given the perceived higher incidence of cheating on PC. This follows years of console players disabling crossplay in standard multiplayer modes.

Activision emphasizes 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 from the community, 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 release, Activision aimed for a one-hour ban timeframe for detected cheaters. The game launched with an updated Ricochet kernel-level driver and enhanced machine-learning systems to quickly identify and address aimbots. Activision acknowledges the sophisticated nature of cheat developers, highlighting their organized efforts to circumvent anti-cheat measures, but emphasizes their continuous efforts to detect and remove cheaters from the game.