Activision and Call of Duty have announced the first details on the new RICOCHET anti-cheat system, which arrives in Call of Duty: Warzone & Call of Duty: Vanguard later this year to combat cheating and hacking problems that the game has experienced for years.
Cheating has become a point of contention among fans of Call of Duty, as hacks in Warzone allowed players to become invincible, while Black Ops Cold War saw gamers using five weapons at once. While Activision has been banning cheaters in multiple ban waves, fans have been repeatedly calling for a better anti-cheat system to further address the problem.
The creators of Call of Duty have been listening to these cries and have officially announced the new RICOCHET Anti-Cheat. This system is specifically developed from the ground up for the franchise by a new in-house team who are dedicated to maintaining and servicing the system.
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat features two separate aspects: a new backend based update to provide better infrastructure and security and a PC kernel driver system to directly detect hacks.
Call of Duty RICOCHET Server Enhancements
Call of Duty’s new RICOCHET Anti-Cheat system delivers server level enhancements to better provide backend security and protection against hackers. It will be available when Vanguard launches on November 5 and arrives with Warzone’s Pacific map later this year.
In a blog post from Call of Duty, the company states that the “RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is a multi-faceted approach to combat cheating,” with the system’s “new server-side tools” able to “monitor analytics to identify cheating.”
On top of that, RICOCHET will also allow for “enhanced investigation processes to stamp out cheaters,” while also working on updates to “strengthen account security.”
RICOCHET PC Kernel-Level Driver
On top of server-side tools, the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat system also features a PC kernel-level driver that will arrive in Warzone later this year, with release on Vanguard to come at a later date.
The first of its kind in the Call of Duty franchise, the kernel-level driver will “assist in the identification of cheaters, reinforcing and strengthening the overall server security” by checking “software and applications that attempt to interact and manipulate Warzone, providing the security team more data to boost security.”
While the driver itself is only available on PC, Activision says that console players who have crossplay enabled will benefit by extension.
Activision has confirmed that the kernel level driver will be required to play Call of Duty: Warzone once it becomes available later this year. Players on PC will be unable to play Warzone if they don’t want to have the kernel level driver installed.
Activision has also provided more information on the kernel level aspect of RICOCHET Anti-Cheat, including addressing privacy concerns some PC players may have as part of this experience.
Here are the key points on how RICOCHET Anti-Cheat will protect privacy:
- RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s kernel-level driver operates ONLY while playing Call of Duty: Warzone on PC.
- RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s driver is not always-on.
- RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s driver monitors the software and applications that interact with Call of Duty: Warzone.
- When you shut down Call of Duty: Warzone, the driver turns off.
The company has confirmed that the PC kernel level driver will be included in Warzone in an update later this year, making it impossible to not have it so long as you have Warzone installed.
Commitment to Fair Play
The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team is determined in their efforts to ensure Warzone & Call of Duty is fair.
The company states that the system also features Machine Learning (ML) software which will use “algorithms” to “examine gameplay data from the server, helping to identify suspicious behavior trends, and add another layer of security.”
They also reiterated that player reporting tools will be available in-game to ensure that players can continue to report those who are suspected of cheating.
Activision says that they plan to announce RICOCHET anti-cheat’s arrival across all of their communications channels to ensure players are aware of the new level of anti-cheat in Call of Duty.
The team also stated that they are not stopping in their efforts to ensure Call of Duty is fair for everyone to play: “The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team’s commitment is the relentless pursuit of fair play which is fought against the sophisticated issue of cheating. We are determined to evolve the system over time, fighting for the community against those that aim to spoil their gaming experience.”
The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team’s commitment is the relentless pursuit of fair play, which is fought against the sophisticated issue of cheating. We are dedicated and determined to evolve the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat System over time, fighting for the community against those that aim to spoil their gaming experience.
Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat release date
Activision confirmed that RICOCHET’s anti-cheat server enhancements will be included when Call of Duty: Vanguard launches on Friday, November 5 and will be added to Warzone as part of the Pacific map update later this year.
The PC kernel-level driver will be released as part of the Warzone Pacific update this year and will be added to Vanguard at a later date. Exact release dates for the driver have yet to be confirmed.
SOURCE: Call of Duty Blog / Activision Support
Image Credit: Activision