The highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta is currently live, and just as publisher Activision predicted, it has been met with an influx of cheaters.
Earlier this week, Activision publicly stated their awareness that cheaters would attempt to exploit the beta, a common occurrence in past Call of Duty test phases. However, they expressed confidence and even welcomed this challenge, viewing it as an opportunity to test their defenses.
“Cheaters will try to test the limits during the beta,” Activision announced. “That’s exactly what we want because #TeamRICOCHET is here, watching, learning, and removing them as they appear. Any account permanently banned for cheating during the Beta will be banned across all Call of Duty titles, from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to future releases.”
The company specifically highlighted their advanced aimbot detection, described as “one of the strongest detection systems we have ever built,” alongside new wall-hacking detections designed to make it significantly harder for players to see enemies through surfaces without being caught.
Despite these assurances, a quick look at social media platforms reveals numerous clips showcasing players openly cheating in the Black Ops 7 beta, indicating that the battle against exploiters is far from over.
The ultimate goal, of course, is that the data collected during this beta period will empower developers to significantly reduce cheating before Black Ops 7 officially launches in November. This fight is not unique to Activision; rival shooter Battlefield 6 faced similar issues, with its open beta also seeing a notable presence of cheaters.
In a growing trend, game publishers are now requiring PC players to enable security features like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to participate in titles such as Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty. These measures aim to prevent modified hardware and unauthorized software from running, fostering a more secure and equitable environment for all legitimate players. However, the true effectiveness of these mandatory requirements for both Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7 remains a subject of ongoing debate as their full releases approach.
In the meantime, many Call of Duty console players are resorting to a familiar tactic: disabling crossplay to avoid potential encounters with PC cheaters. Activision has previously acknowledged that cheating is more prevalent on PC, even suggesting that if a console player seems unfairly skilled, it’s more likely due to an ‘intel advantage’ rather than actual cheats. This widespread concern has led many console players to immediately adjust their game settings. While Activision introduced new console-only crossplay options for standard multiplayer earlier this year, some honest PC players felt unfairly penalized by these changes.
For those eager to jump into the action, remember to consult guides on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta global release times to ensure you don’t miss out on playing.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN.