Activision has recently shed light on its ongoing efforts to combat cheating in its popular franchise, Call of Duty, particularly as players gear up for the much-anticipated launch of Season 3 in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone. The gaming giant has confirmed what many players have long suspected: console players are unlikely to be cheating; instead, they are often leveraging an “Intel Advantage” in gameplay.
Investments in Anti-Cheat Technology
In a blog post, Activision highlighted its substantial financial commitment to developing advanced anti-cheat technology and pursuing legal action against cheat creators. The company has successfully shut down numerous cheat providers, including the recent closure of Phantom Overlay, which shocked the gaming community given its prominence in the cheating market. In addition to this, several other cheat providers were also dismantled ahead of the highly awaited return of Verdansk to Warzone.
Activision’s anti-cheat team, known as Team RICOCHET, has made significant strides since the release of Black Ops 6. They have issued over 228,000 bans, successfully identifying and removing 23% of cheaters before they could even enter a match. Activision acknowledged these achievements but emphasized their ongoing commitment to improving both the speed and effectiveness of their anti-cheat measures.
Upcoming Enhancements in Season 3
With the launch of Season 3, Activision plans to introduce new anti-cheat systems, although specific details remain undisclosed for security reasons. Notably, existing systems are set to receive significant updates, including enhancements to aim bot detection and a Machine Learning system designed to analyze gameplay replays for suspicious activity.
Addressing Player Reports: Understanding the Intel Advantage
Activision has also addressed the inaccuracies associated with player reports regarding suspected cheating. Many reports stem from situations where the player who scored the kill had an intel advantage through perks like Recon Scout or Spy Cam live pings. The company noted that over 60% of cheater reports in Warzone have been aimed at console players. However, data indicates that while console cheating is possible, it constitutes a very small percentage of detected cheaters compared to PC players. As a result, many reports may be based on misinterpretations of gameplay.
To assist players in accurately reporting suspicious behavior, Activision is revamping the KillCam feature to provide more clarity on gunfights. The updated KillCam widget will include:
– A list of attackers displaying their username, weapon, damage dealt, and hit counts.
– Indicators for whether the enemy had you pinged via line-of-sight or through UAV.
– Information on whether your location was revealed due to unsuppressed weapon fire.
These improvements aim to help players report incidents with greater precision and confidence.
Ranked Play: Introducing Retroactive SR Adjustments
In response to concerns about cheating impacting competitive play, Activision is introducing new measures for Ranked Play in Season 3. One of the significant changes is the implementation of Retroactive SR Adjustments. This will entail:
– Granting SR refunds to players who were recently defeated by a banned cheater in Ranked Play matches, focusing initially on the last two weeks of gameplay.
– Removing SR from players found to have played alongside cheaters.
These changes will go live shortly after the launch of Season 3, with a similar system expected for Warzone once Ranked Play is introduced. Additionally, Activision plans to perform a leaderboard scrub before the end of Season 02 to eliminate any accounts that gained SR through illegitimate means, such as boosting.
The Battle Against Cheating Continues
The ongoing issue of cheating has been a significant concern in competitive multiplayer gaming, prompting Activision to face criticism for its perceived slow response. In light of the problem, the company previously allowed console players to disable crossplay with PC players in Ranked matches.
Cheating has always been a challenge in the gaming industry, but it has become increasingly problematic for Activision since the launch of the free-to-play battle royale, Warzone, in 2020. With the return of Verdansk on April 3 alongside Season 3, players are hopeful that the cheating landscape will improve, allowing for a fairer gaming experience.
Activision’s commitment to tackling cheating head-on and enhancing player experience is evident, and the upcoming changes in Season 3 are a testament to that commitment.
