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 taken significant steps to address the widespread concerns about cheating within the *Call of Duty* community, particularly in *Black Ops 6* and *Warzone*. In response to player feedback, the company has announced plans to allow console players in Ranked Play to disable crossplay with PC players, a move aimed at enhancing the integrity of competitive multiplayer.

Cheating has been a contentious issue since the introduction of Ranked Play in *Black Ops 6* and *Warzone* during the launch of Season 1 last year. The perceived increase in cheating has led to a tarnished competitive environment, prompting criticism of Activision for its initial handling of the problem. In a candid admission last month, Team Ricochet, the unit behind *Call of Duty*'s anti-cheat efforts, acknowledged that the integration of Ricochet Anti-Cheat at the start of Season 1 fell short, especially in Ranked Play.

In a recent blog post, Activision laid out its comprehensive strategy to combat cheating throughout 2025. The company revealed that it had issued over 136,000 account bans in Ranked Play since its launch. With the upcoming Season 2, Activision plans to roll out enhanced client and server-side detection systems alongside a significant kernel-level driver update. Looking further ahead, Season 3 and beyond will introduce a host of new technologies, including a novel system designed to authenticate legitimate players and specifically target cheaters. While details on this new system remain under wraps to prevent tipping off cheat developers, Activision is committed to a cleaner gaming environment.

Starting with Season 2, console players in *Black Ops 6* and *Warzone* Ranked Play will have the option to disable crossplay, a feature long requested by the community due to the prevalence of cheating on PC. "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 stated.

Despite Activision's ongoing efforts and substantial investments in anti-cheat technology, skepticism remains among the *Call of Duty* fanbase. The issue of cheating has been a persistent challenge for Activision, notably since the launch of the free-to-play *Warzone* in 2020, which brought the problem into the spotlight. The company has not only developed advanced anti-cheat systems but has also taken legal action against cheat makers, achieving several high-profile victories recently.

Ahead of *Black Ops 6*'s release, Activision set a goal to remove cheaters from the game within an hour of their first match. The launch of *Black Ops 6* included an updated version of Ricochet's kernel-level driver, applicable to both *Black Ops 6* and *Warzone*, equipped with new machine-learning behavioral systems aimed at quick detection and analysis of gameplay to counter aim bots.

Activision highlighted the sophisticated nature of cheat developers, describing them as organized, illegal groups intent on exploiting game data. "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," the company stated. Despite the challenges, Activision remains vigilant, constantly searching for the "breadcrumbs" left by cheaters to identify and remove them from the game.