With the rollout of the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat kernel-level driver on PC, Call of Duty: Warzone saw a significant drop in in-game cheat reporting, according to internal data. #TeamRICOCHET was able to catch and disable accounts quickly, bringing cheating within Warzone to an all-time low during the holiday break.
As time has progressed cheat developers have looked for new ways to try to exploit the game. Some have succeeded, many have not. While a recent rise in cheating is not at the level it was during Verdansk, according to the data, any increase is frustrating. Team RICOCHET is constantly monitoring and will continue every effort to prevent and combat this wherever possible. This back and forth is expected, and while anti-cheat is not a magic bullet, this is a battle they are committed to fighting.
Data Collection & Mitigation
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat relies on data to identify cheating behaviour and make ban waves more impactful. As we collect data from machines determined to be cheating, our goal is to ensure they aren’t taking wins from our deserving community.
#TeamRICOCHET also uses several in-game mitigations to reduce the impact of cheating players, beyond banning accounts. One mitigation technique they have been testing is something we call Damage Shield. When the server detects a cheater is tampering with the game in real-time, it disables the cheater’s ability to inflict critical damage on other players. This mitigation leaves the cheater vulnerable to real players and allows #TeamRICOCHET to collect information about a cheater’s system. These encounters are tracked to ensure there is no possibility for the game to apply a Damage Shield randomly or by accident, no matter the skill level. Just to be clear, this will never interfere in gunfights between law-abiding community members. Damage Shield is now out of testing and deployed across the globe.
This is only one of many mitigations that will be in-game, with more live and in development. Since activating new mitigations in the last few weeks, they have seen a decline in cheat reporting.
As always, if you do encounter a cheater, make sure to use the in-game reporting tool. That information is helpful for #TeamRICOCHET. New mitigations are launching periodically. You might start seeing clips of their tricks soon.
#TeamRICOCHET will always strive to be as transparent as possible but certain things need to be kept in secret with respect to the detection systems and other mitigation to keep that info secure from bad actors.
Unified Security & Enforcement Policy
The security team has also made changes to our security enforcement policy for modern PC and console titles within the Call of Duty universe. Previously, this adjustment was only applied to Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Going forward, extreme, or repeated violations of the security policy – such as in-game cheating – may result in a permanent suspension of all accounts. Additionally, any attempt to hide, disguise or obfuscate your identity or the identity of your hardware devices may also result in a permanent suspension.
Permanent suspensions for security infractions apply to any infractions in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Vanguard, as well as future titles in the Call of Duty franchise.
