Activision Will Let Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Console Players Disable Crossplay With PC as Cheating Complaints Ramp Up

Activision has responded to widespread player complaints regarding cheating in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone, announcing plans to allow console players in Ranked Play to disable crossplay with PC players. The prevalence of cheating since the introduction of Ranked Play in Season 1 of 2024 has become a major concern for the competitive community, prompting significant criticism of Activision's initial response.

Activision's Team Ricochet, responsible for anti-cheat technology, acknowledged shortcomings in the Season 1 launch, stating that their anti-cheat integration, particularly within Ranked Play, fell short of expectations. Subsequently, they announced over 136,000 Ranked Play account bans since the mode's launch.

A new blog post details Activision's 2025 anti-cheat strategy. Season 2 will introduce enhanced client-side and server-side detection systems, along with a crucial kernel-level driver update. Further improvements are promised for Season 3 and beyond, including a novel player authentication system designed to identify and target cheaters. Specific details on this new system are withheld to prevent cheat developers from exploiting the technology.

A key short-term solution arriving with Season 2 is the ability for console players in Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Play to disable crossplay. This addresses concerns that a significant portion of cheating originates from PC players, mirroring a practice already common in standard Multiplayer modes. Activision will monitor the impact of this change and consider further adjustments to maintain game integrity.

While Activision's updates are often met with skepticism, the ongoing battle against cheating is a significant issue, particularly since the surge in Warzone's popularity in 2020. Activision has invested heavily in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat developers, achieving several high-profile victories. Prior to Black Ops 6's release, Activision aimed for sub-one-hour detection and removal of cheaters, leveraging an updated Ricochet kernel-level driver and machine-learning systems to identify and address aimbotting. Activision acknowledges the sophisticated nature of cheat developers, emphasizing their continuous efforts to detect and remove cheaters.