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 complaints followed the introduction of Ranked Play in Black Ops 6 and Warzone with Season 1 last year. The perceived prevalence of cheaters sparked considerable backlash against Activision for its perceived slow response.

Activision's Team Ricochet, the anti-cheat division, acknowledged shortcomings in its initial Season 1 rollout. They stated that while subsequent updates improved the situation, the initial Ricochet Anti-Cheat integration, especially in Ranked Play, fell short of expectations.

A recent blog post details Activision's 2025 anti-cheat roadmap, revealing over 136,000 Ranked Play account bans since the mode's launch. Season 2 will introduce enhanced client-side and server-side detection systems, alongside 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. 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 are disproportionately responsible for cheating in online games. Console players in standard Multiplayer have long utilized this option, and now Ranked players will have the same capability. Activision will closely monitor the impact and consider further adjustments to maintain game integrity.

While Activision's anti-cheat efforts are often met with skepticism, the issue of cheating is a significant reputational challenge, particularly since the rise in popularity of the free-to-play Warzone in 2020. Activision's substantial investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat developers, including several recent high-profile victories, underscores its commitment to addressing the problem.

Prior to Black Ops 6's launch, Activision aimed for a one-hour detection and ban timeframe for cheaters. The game launched with an updated Ricochet kernel-level driver (also applied to Warzone), incorporating new machine-learning systems for faster detection and gameplay analysis to counter aimbots. Activision acknowledges the sophisticated and organized nature of cheat developers, highlighting their continuous efforts to identify and remove cheaters.