Cheating has become a significant issue in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, especially after the launch of Season 1, and this is despite Activision’s RICOCHET anti-cheat system. Activision revealed that a data outage had disrupted the effectiveness of the anti-cheat measures when the new season dropped for both games. In a recent update, TeamRICOCHET acknowledged that while their anti-cheat framework “performed well” at the launch of Black Ops 6, they failed to integrate it effectively during the debut of Season 1—particularly when it came to Ranked Play.
Activision’s crack team, RICOCHET, responsible for Call of Duty’s anti-cheat software, revealed that they have banned 19,000 accounts, majorly targeting cheaters in Ranked Play during the season. To tackle the growing number of suspicious accounts, they’re initiating hourly ban waves, utilizing recently improved detection techniques.
The rise in cheating across Warzone and Black Ops 6 playlists has forced TeamRICOCHET to bolster its human moderation team. They’re also expanding their AI-powered Replay Investigation setup to better manage reports of possible cheating. Going forward, enhancements to the RICOCHET anti-cheat system, which operates at the kernel level and was developed internally for Call of Duty, are expected to better identify disruptive players before they enter the game. More detection methods, both client-side and server-side, are set for release in Seasons 2 and 3 for Black Ops 6 and Warzone.
TeamRICOCHET admitted, “We’ve made strides, but recognize there’s a lot more to accomplish. We’re eager to roll out significant updates in the upcoming year.”
TeamRICOCHET has been careful about sharing details of its cheat mitigation efforts since they began during Modern Warfare 2’s post-launch phases. However, divulging too much could inadvertently aid the very hackers they’re trying to thwart.
The gaming community’s reaction to increased moderation and anti-cheat measures has been mixed. Historically, Activision has been somewhat secretive about their strategies for dealing with cheaters in Call of Duty, although they have started communicating more on RICOCHET’s efforts. Nonetheless, some details must remain confidential to prevent malicious players from finding ways around the system.
This secrecy often fuels conspiracy theories about anti-cheat strategies, especially concerning ramifications for those accused of cheating. TeamRICOCHET has confirmed that suspected cheaters may end up in restricted matchmaking, which has led some players to suspect they’ve been victims of spam reporting whenever they encounter cheaters or experience lag.
In response, Activision and TeamRICOCHET have explained that spam reports have minimal influence on the detection process. However, reporting suspected cheaters is still crucial for catching those who slip through other detection tools. Spam reporting from disgruntled players isn’t new, and there are already measures in place to prevent false reports from automatically leading to bans.
Initial anti-cheat measures are more likely enforced by AI detection rather than false reports. High latency issues are more attributable to the servers, which have struggled with stability since Season 1 launched.
Now, let’s say you’re worried about shadowbans due to spam reports—these instances are rare, but issues can occur due to misunderstandings. Even with sophisticated AI systems and human checks, some players might inadvertently get swept up in enforcement efforts. For instance, earlier in the cycle of Modern Warfare 3 (2023), the anti-cheat system mistakenly banned PC users with RGB control software. As RICOCHET evolves, there’s still room for improvement.
If you’re concerned you’ve been caught in limited matchmaking or have been banned, you can check your account status on Activision’s support page. If needed, you can submit a ban appeal through their system.
For those of us playing without such issues, perhaps try tweaking your controller settings to enhance your Black Ops 6 gameplay or learn how to rack up XP quickly with certain loadouts. This way, you can avoid resorting to cheats and instead smoothly grind your way through prestige levels. Also, exploring hardcore multiplayer could improve your skills in COD!
