If you’re diving into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Warzone these days, or even if you just keep a casual eye on them, you’ve likely caught wind of the heated debates surrounding their anti-cheat systems. Ranked modes have brought endless grumbles as cheaters run rampant, driving players up the wall with frustration.
Personally, I’ve never been the biggest Warzone enthusiast, but I do enjoy watching streamers tackle it. Some might brush off complaints as mere excuses for players getting knocked out, but that’s rarely the case. It’s painfully clear when someone’s cheating, and it’s turning what should be a fun experience into a nightmare.
How dire is the situation? I bit the bullet and embarked on the ranked Warzone journey myself. I can confirm it’s pretty rough out there. Even in the lower ranks, cheaters are everywhere. The issue isn’t contained to ranked; even non-ranked Resurgence games are swarming with them. They cheat through the requirements to sneak into ranked play.
### What tricks are these cheaters using?
The usual suspects in a cheater’s toolkit are aimbots and wall hacks. The video above, created by a provider of such cheats, showcases this foul play in action.
Is it any wonder why the game can feel like one of the most miserable spaces for gamers right now? How do these cheats exist in a game that supposedly has anti-cheating measures?
Wall hacks allow cheaters to pinpoint every player on the map, no matter the distance or obstacles. This ability grants them the chance to pull off shots through walls or commence firing before they’re even in the line of sight, especially in Warzone. How do you stand a chance against someone already unloading rounds the moment you step out?
Aimbots, true to their name, let cheaters lock onto targets seamlessly. Combining this with wall hacks, these players aim precisely at you even when you’re hidden, scoring perfect headshots when you finally come into view.
Not to mention, some of these unsportsmanlike characters manage to get underneath the map, shooting at you while remaining immune to any return fire.
And the worst part? If cheaters are eventually taken out, many crash the entire lobby just to avoid losing the stolen SR, since a crashed game doesn’t count.
It’s beyond frustrating. And this is before touching on the players using devices like Cronus to enhance aim assist to ridiculous levels.
### My experience hasn’t been as dreadful, but still discouraging
The cheating problem is magnified in the higher ranks. As you climb the ladder, the stakes rise, so the losses sting even more.
Content creators, in particular, have it rough. Warzone is their bread and butter, something they play daily to entertain viewers and make a living. Imagine someone repeatedly sabotaging your workday—it’s a demoralizing scenario.
I don’t claim to be an outstanding player. At best, I’m passable. Whether in multiplayer or not, my experience with Warzone’s anti-cheat measures has been disappointing.
As for my ranked Warzone journey, it’s been far from enjoyable. While it’s easier to mitigate SR losses in the lower tiers, the presence of cheaters has spoiled many games on my climb to Silver III so far. The same wall hacks and aimbots always rear their ugly heads—a pattern you can spot just by watching kill-cams showing uncanny tracking skills.
In addition to this, I’ve experienced about three lobby crashes. The game freezes and stutters just before booting you back to the lobby, another probable sign of cheaters crashing the game.
### What is Activision doing about Ricochet?
Which leads me to wonder, what exactly is Activision achieving with their Ricochet anti-cheat system? Despite investments in its development, it appears completely ineffective.
It’s likely different teams handle cosmetic items and anti-cheat measures. Yet, players can understandably be upset when premium content launches at a breakneck pace, while essential game issues remain unfixed. The game’s broken, but hey, at least there’s a new Squid Game crossover.
It’s laughable that a pricing glitch in the Hella Fresh bundle was patched immediately, while players dealing with significant bugs and attending to anti-cheat measures face incessant delays.
Ultimately, it’s just poor customer service. Warzone might be free-to-play, but Black Ops 6 isn’t, and both rely on the same feeble anti-cheat system. When premium bundles proliferate in a $70 game, but the game’s fundamental issues persist, it’s no wonder dedicated players are annoyed.
Microsoft must step in with decisive actions. Call of Duty has become a major moneymaker for the company, and the current state of the game is simply embarrassing.
Perhaps having separate leaderboards—one for PC and crossplay users, and another for console players—could change the landscape. Removing PC from the equation might drastically shift the gaming experience.
