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 anti-cheat updates and a new crossplay option for console players in Ranked Play.

The surge in cheating reports, particularly following the introduction of Ranked Play in Season 1 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone, has sparked considerable backlash from the community. Activision's Team Ricochet, responsible for anti-cheat technology, previously acknowledged shortcomings in their initial Season 1 implementation of Ricochet Anti-Cheat, specifically impacting Ranked Play.

A recent blog post details Activision's comprehensive anti-cheat strategy for 2025. This includes over 136,000 account bans issued since the launch of Ranked Play. Season 2 will feature enhanced client and server-side detection systems, along with a major kernel-level driver update. Further advancements are promised for Season 3 and beyond, including a novel player authentication system designed to identify and target cheaters more effectively. 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 a crossplay disable option for console players in Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Play. This addresses the prevalent issue of PC-based cheating, a problem that has led console players to routinely disable crossplay in standard Multiplayer modes.

Activision assures continued monitoring and potential adjustments to maintain game integrity, promising further updates closer to the feature's launch.

While Activision's anti-cheat efforts are often met with skepticism, the company has invested heavily in Ricochet technology and legal action against cheat developers, achieving notable successes. Prior to Black Ops 6's launch, Activision aimed for sub-one-hour detection and removal of cheaters from their first match. The game launched with an updated kernel-level driver (also applied to Warzone) incorporating machine learning to swiftly detect and analyze gameplay, countering aimbots.

Activision acknowledges the sophisticated and organized nature of cheat developers, emphasizing their ongoing efforts to identify and remove these malicious actors from the Call of Duty ecosystem.