"Activision Allows Console Players to Disable PC Crossplay Amid Cheating Surge in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone"

Activision has taken significant steps to address the rampant issue of cheating within the Call of Duty community, particularly in Black Ops 6 and Warzone. Responding to persistent complaints from dedicated players, the company has confirmed plans to allow console players in Ranked Play to disable crossplay with PC players, a move that aims to enhance the competitive integrity of the game.

Cheating has been a major concern since the introduction of Ranked Play in Black Ops 6 and Warzone during the launch of Season 1 last year. Many within the community felt that the presence of cheaters was undermining the competitive spirit of multiplayer modes, leading to widespread criticism of Activision's initial response to the issue.

In a candid admission last month, Activision's Team Ricochet, the team behind the Call of Duty anti-cheat technology, acknowledged that their efforts to curb cheating at the start of Season 1 were insufficient. "After a series of updates, our systems are in a better place today across all modes; however, we did not hit the mark for the integration of Ricochet Anti-Cheat at the launch of Season 01 — particularly for Ranked Play," they stated.

In a recent blog post, Activision outlined its comprehensive plan to combat cheating in Call of Duty throughout 2025. Since the launch of Ranked Play, the company has already issued over 136,000 account bans. With the upcoming Season 2, players can expect enhanced client and server-side detection systems, along with a significant update to the kernel-level driver. Looking ahead to Season 3 and beyond, Activision promises the introduction of new technologies, including a novel system designed to authenticate legitimate players and target cheaters more effectively. While specifics remain under wraps to avoid tipping off cheat developers, the commitment to continuous improvement is clear.

Starting with Season 2, console players will have the option to disable crossplay in Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Play, allowing them to compete solely against other console players. This move addresses the widespread belief that cheating is more prevalent among PC players. "We'll be monitoring closely and will consider further changes to prioritize the integrity of the ecosystem, and we’ll have more details to share as we get closer to the launch of this feature," Activision assured.

While Activision's anti-cheat updates often face skepticism from the community, the company's ongoing efforts to tackle cheating are undeniable. Since the massive success of the free-to-play Warzone in 2020, cheating has become a critical reputational issue for Activision. The company has invested millions in developing its anti-cheat technology and has also pursued legal action against cheat makers, achieving notable victories.

Ahead of Black Ops 6's launch in October, Activision set an ambitious goal to remove cheaters from the game within one hour of their first match. The game was released with an updated kernel-level driver for Ricochet, alongside new machine-learning behavioral systems aimed at quickly detecting and analyzing gameplay to combat aim bots.

"The people behind cheats are organized, illegal groups that pick apart every piece of data within our games to look for some way to make cheating possible," Activision explained. "These bad guys are not just some script kiddies poking around with code they found online. They are a collective who profit from exploiting the hard work of game developers across the industry."

Despite the sophisticated nature of cheat developers, Activision remains determined to outsmart them. "But cheat developers are flawed (clearly — they have to pretend to be good at video games). Every time they cheat, they leave breadcrumbs behind. We’re always looking for those breadcrumbs to find the bad actors and get them out of the game," the company stated, emphasizing their relentless pursuit of a fair gaming environment.