Activision is reportedly addressing a new hacking tool plaguing Call of Duty, which enables cheaters to kick other players from online match lobbies.  The company has stated a "full-scale investigation" is underway.

Call of Duty's immense popularity makes it a prime target for malicious activity.  From the free-to-play Warzone to the latest mainline title, Black Ops 6, millions of players engage with the franchise daily.  Black Ops 6, launched in October 2024, achieved record-breaking sales, marking the most successful COD launch in history.  However, alongside this success, the game has faced significant challenges with cheating.

Responding to reports about the player-kicking cheat, Activision clarified that the viral video demonstrating the tool was from the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 beta and that the exploit had been addressed.  Despite this, the company confirmed it's investigating new instances of the issue and conducting a thorough examination to determine if previous countermeasures were circumvented.  Beyond the Ricochet anti-cheat team, Activision is involving other internal teams, including legal, to tackle cheating from all angles.

This latest action reflects Activision's ongoing commitment to combat cheating within Call of Duty.  In January, Treyarch, the game's developer, outlined its anti-cheat efforts, revealing the ban of over 36,000 players since the start of Black Ops 6's Ranked Play.  With the launch of a new season on January 28, 2025, enhanced cheat detection methods were implemented, including improved client and server-side measures.

While combating cheating remains a priority, the development team has also been busy with content creation, securing various collaborations with popular IPs like Terminator and Squid Game.  Rumors suggest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed content may be coming to Call of Duty soon.