Call of Duty: Console Players Can Disable Crossplay with PC Amidst Cheating Concerns

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 plans to allow console players in Ranked Play to disable crossplay with PC players. The issue of cheating has intensified since the introduction of Ranked Play, with many players claiming it's negatively impacting the competitive experience.

Activision's Team Ricochet, responsible for the game's anti-cheat technology, previously acknowledged shortcomings in its initial Season 1 implementation of Ricochet Anti-Cheat, particularly within Ranked Play.

A recent blog post details Activision's 2025 anti-cheat strategy, 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, along with a significant 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 on this new system are being withheld to avoid aiding cheat developers.

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 the widely held belief that a significant portion of cheating originates from PC players, mirroring a practice already common in standard Multiplayer modes.

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 often face skepticism from the community, the company's commitment is evident in its substantial investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat developers, resulting in several high-profile successes. Previous statements highlighted a goal of banning cheaters within an hour of their first match, leveraging updated Ricochet kernel-level drivers and machine learning systems to detect and analyze suspicious gameplay patterns. Activision acknowledges the sophisticated nature of cheat developers, emphasizing the continuous search for clues left behind by cheaters to identify and remove them from the game.