Call of Duty: Ranked Players Can Disable Crossplay with PC Amid Cheating Outcry

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 prevalence of cheaters in Ranked Play, introduced with Season 1 last year, has ignited considerable controversy within the Call of Duty community. Many players believe cheating is severely undermining competitive gameplay, leading to criticism of Activision's initial response.

Activision's Team Ricochet acknowledged shortcomings in its Season 1 anti-cheat implementation, stating that their systems, while improved through subsequent updates, fell short of expectations, particularly within Ranked Play.

A recent blog post details Activision's 2025 anti-cheat roadmap. This includes the announcement of over 136,000 Ranked Play account bans since the mode's launch. Season 2 will introduce enhanced client-side 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 about this new system are being withheld to prevent cheat developers from exploiting its mechanics.

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 concerns that a significant portion of cheating originates from PC players, a problem that has led console players in standard Multiplayer to routinely disable crossplay.

Activision emphasizes ongoing 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 issue of cheating remains a significant challenge for the publisher, particularly since the surge in Warzone's popularity in 2020. Activision's substantial investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat developers, including several recent high-profile victories, demonstrates their commitment to addressing the problem.

Prior to Black Ops 6's launch, Activision stated a goal of banning cheaters within an hour of their first match. The game launched with an updated Ricochet kernel-level driver (also applied to Warzone), incorporating new machine-learning systems to rapidly detect and analyze gameplay, specifically targeting aimbots. Activision highlights the organized nature of cheat developers, emphasizing their sophisticated methods and the ongoing arms race to stay ahead of their tactics.