Call of Duty Cheaters Beware – Bans Can Now Apply to Past, Present, and Future Titles

Activision is getting serious about fighting Call of Duty cheaters. After introducing the kernel-level driver Ricochet to both Vanguard and the updated version of Warzone, the publisher has updated its security and enforcement policy to clarify that permanent suspensions handed in any Call of Duty game may now apply to past, present, and future installments too. That means cheating in a game like Vanguard could suspend your account indefinitely and prevent you from playing next year's game, at least with that account.

Here's an overview of the actions that may result in a permanent suspension, otherwise known as ban.

Spoofing

Any attempt to hide, disguise, or obfuscate your identity or the identity of your hardware devices may result in a permanent suspension.

Circumventing Security

Any attempt to hide, disguise, or obfuscate your identity or the identity of your hardware devices may result in a permanent suspension.

Use of Unauthorized Software for Cheating/Modding/Hacking

Any user who utilizes any code and/or software not authorized by Activision that can be used in connection with the game and/or any component or feature thereof which changes and/or facilitates the gameplay or other activity, including to gain an unfair advantage, manipulate stats, and/or manipulate game data, is subject to penalty. This includes, but is not limited to, aimbots, wallhacks, trainers, stats hacks, texture hacks, leaderboard hacks, injectors, or any other software used to deliberately modify game data on disk or in memory.

• First offense: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.
  • Console users who modify their hardware or profile data may also be reported to console manufacturers.
  • PC users on Battle.net will be reported to the Battle.net enforcement team.

Pirated Content

Any user who illegally acquires any Call of Duty title, content, or entitlement is subject to penalty.

• First offense: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.
  • Console users in possession of illegally acquired content may also be reported to console manufacturers.
  • PC users on Battle.net will be reported to the Battle.net enforcement team.

Unsupported Peripheral Devices and Applications

Any user who utilizes an unsupported external hardware device or application to interact with the game and use for cheating is subject to penalty. Unsupported peripheral devices and applications include, but are not limited to, modded controllers, IP flooders, and lag switches.

• Minor offense: User may be temporarily suspended from playing the game online, have their stats and emblems reset and have their leaderboard entries deleted.
• Extreme or repeat offenses: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats and emblems reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.

Boosting

Any user who colludes with another user to exploit the game for the purpose of gaining XP, prestige, game score, weapon level, or in-game unlock is subject to penalty.

• First offense: User may be temporarily suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and have their leaderboard entries deleted.
• Extreme or repeat offenses: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.

Glitching

Any user who abuses an exploit in game code or other established rule of play is subject to penalty. An example includes, but is not limited to, using a hole in the map geo to intentionally go outside of the map boundary.

• First offense: User may be temporarily suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, have online split-screen privileges revoked, and have their leaderboard entries deleted.
• Extreme or repeat offenses: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.

Griefing

Any user who purposefully prevents another player from playing the game as intended by exploit or repeated unsportsmanlike behavior, such as intentional friendly fire, is subject to penalty.

• First offense: User may be temporarily suspended from playing the game online with teammates, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and have their leaderboard entries deleted.
• Extreme or repeat offenses: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.

Offensive Behavior

Any user who is found to use aggressive, offensive, derogatory, or culturally charged language is subject to penalty. Cyber-bullying and other forms of harassment are considered extreme offenses and will result in the harshest penalty.

• First offense: User may be temporarily suspended from playing the game online.
• Second offense: User may be temporarily suspended from playing the game online and have party privileges in the game revoked.
• Extreme or repeat offenses: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats, emblems, and weapon customizations reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.

Improperly Obtained Downloadable/Unlockable Content

Users that are found to have inventories containing Call of Duty content obtained outside of normal gameplay are subject to penalty. Penalties will not be issued for content obtained by gifting, social means, customer service intervention, and/or promotional events.

• First offense: Users may be temporarily suspended from using the inventory system, and a full inventory reset may be issued.
• Extreme or repeat offenses: Users may be permanently suspended from using the inventory system and a full inventory reset may be issued.

Decompiling or Reverse Engineering of Game Data

Any user who is found to be decompiling or reverse engineering game code or data on disk or in memory is subject to penalty. To "Decompile" or "Reverse Engineer" the software is a breach of EULA section 3 condition 7. "You agree that you will not do, or allow, any of the following:… (7) subject to applicable laws, reverse engineer, derive source code, modify, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works of the software."

• First offense: User may be permanently suspended from playing the game online, have their stats reset, and be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards.
• Console users who modify their hardware or profile data may also be reported to console manufacturers.
• PC users on Battle.net will be reported to the Battle.net enforcement team.