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 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 previously acknowledged shortcomings in its initial Ricochet Anti-Cheat implementation, admitting that it fell short of expectations, especially in Ranked Play.

A recent blog post details Activision's comprehensive anti-cheat plan for 2025. The company revealed 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 are promised for Season 3 and beyond, including a novel player authentication system designed to identify and ban cheaters more effectively. Specific details on this new system are being withheld to prevent cheat developers from exploiting it.

A key immediate change for Season 2 is the introduction of crossplay disabling for console players in Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Play. This addresses the widely held belief that PC players represent the majority of cheaters in online gaming, a concern that has led console players to routinely disable crossplay in standard Multiplayer modes for years.

While Activision remains committed to combating cheating, its anti-cheat updates often face skepticism from the community. The issue of cheating has significantly impacted Activision's reputation, particularly since the explosive popularity of the free-to-play Warzone in 2020. The publisher has invested heavily in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat developers, achieving notable successes recently.

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 designed for faster detection and gameplay analysis to counter aimbots. Activision emphasizes the sophisticated and organized nature of cheat developers, highlighting their persistent efforts to circumvent anti-cheat measures. However, the company remains confident in its ability to detect and remove cheaters through continuous monitoring and analysis of player data.