Season 2 of Call of Duty is packed with new content, including Ranked Play modes for both Black Ops 7 multiplayer and Warzone’s battle royale. Activision has revealed the big update will also include improvements to Call of Duty’s Ricochet anti-cheat.
In a new blog post, the publisher says its top priority is “launching Ranked Play with the strongest protections possible” to ensure matches are decided by player skill and not exploits. Part of this focus is targeting unapproved third-party hardware, such as Cronus Zen and XIM Matrix devices that can be used to alter player inputs and obtain an unfair advantage.
“We know what an unfair match looks like: losing a close gunfight to aim that never seems to miss, recoil that never kicks, or reactions that don’t feel human,” Activision says.
Season 2 will introduce a new suite of Ricochet anti-cheat detections designed to target these devices and the accounts that use them to cheat. The anti-cheat update also includes a new remote, cloud-based system with Microsoft to help strengthen protection for Ranked Play. The publisher says this works by blocking tampered systems before matches even begin.
Of course, the publisher says this is not a “one-and-done solution,” but Ricochet anti-cheat will continue to build on these detections until the unfair devices no longer work across Call of Duty.
“As the season rolls out, we’ll keep refining our tools, responding quickly to cheating, and sharing updates as we go,” Activision says.
Ranked Play for Black Ops 7 follows the same ruleset and restrictions currently featured in the Call of Duty League, allowing players to compete like pros in competitive ladders. Ranked Play will offer rewards, such as exclusive skins, camos, and weapon blueprints.
Make sure to check out all the major announcements for Season 2 of Black Ops 7 and Warzone. This includes a brand-new battle pass, DLC weapons, more maps, and a Blackout battle royale experience for Warzone.