Activision says its latest anti-cheat push targets the businesses and networks supplying cheats—not just the accounts using them. In a September 18, 2026 Team RICOCHET update, the company described combining technical detections and account security with investigations and legal action, and reported disrupting more than 375 reseller operations, issuing more than 80 cease-and-desist demands, and helping shut down 31 primary cheat vendors. Those totals are Activision’s figures, not independently verified counts.
What changed in Activision’s anti-cheat strategy?
The September 18 update frames cheating as an ecosystem. According to Team RICOCHET, cheat providers can rely on resellers, rebranded products, illicit accounts, spoofing tools, and distribution networks. Activision says it is pursuing those supporting operations alongside players who cheat.
Team RICOCHET described the approach this way: “RICOCHET Anti-Cheat combines detections, account security, TPM 2.0 enforcement, deep investigations, and legal action to combat this market.” In practical terms, the strategy has three connected layers:
- Detect and disrupt cheating in games: Technical systems and player reports can help identify suspicious software or behavior.
- Raise account and device security requirements: Some measures verify accounts or PC security settings, with consequences that can affect access to matchmaking.
- Investigate providers: Activision says it is pursuing cheat sellers and the networks that distribute their products, including through legal demands and shutdowns.
Activision reported more than 375 reseller operations disrupted, more than 80 cease-and-desist demands issued, and 31 primary cheat vendors shut down as of its September 18 post. These are cumulative totals as presented by the publisher; the post does not provide independent verification for them.
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How RICOCHET’s protections work
Activision describes RICOCHET as a layered system rather than one tool that can stop every cheat. Its overview includes client- and server-side detection, application monitoring, behavioral models, hardware-integrity checks, and player reports. Activision Support puts the limitation plainly: “There is no single solution or policy to cheating.” The system and its enforcement options can vary by game, platform, account group, and playlist.
For PC, Activision says its kernel-level driver monitors applications that interact with protected Call of Duty titles while the game is running, then shuts down when the player exits. The company’s policy lists possible enforcement outcomes including temporary or permanent bans, limited matchmaking, and hardware bans. Permanent account bans may be appealed; hardware bans are not appealable.
Recent changes players may encounter
Season updates describe several measures, but none should be read as a universal requirement for every Call of Duty player.
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Input-device detection and account checks
In an April 2, 2026 update, Activision said it had expanded detection of unauthorized input-modification devices, including Cronus Zen and XIM Matrix. The same update described SMS two-factor authentication for a specified group of free-to-play PC accounts, along with updated notifications about TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements. That account check was for the group Activision identified, not all players.
PC security attestation and matchmaking
A June 4, 2026 update said Microsoft Azure Attestation checks help verify PC security settings. Activision said PCs that fail those checks would be placed in a separate matchmaking pool with restricted playlist access. The update also said nearly two-thirds of players temporarily banned for using unauthorized scripted input devices did not return to using them in Black Ops 7. That behavior figure is Activision’s reported result, not an independently measured finding.
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are PC security capabilities that can help establish whether a system is starting in a trusted configuration. In this context, they are part of Activision’s device-integrity checks; the exact requirement and matchmaking consequence depend on the title and applicable playlist or account group.
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What do the reported market estimates mean?
Intorqa’s 2026 analysis asks how big the cheating market is and how much it may be worth. Its figures cover a modeled set of 15 games and adjacent cheating services—not Call of Duty alone.
| Estimate | Scope and qualification |
|---|---|
| $3.53 billion a year, with a 95% interval of $2.08 billion to $5.75 billion | Intorqa’s model estimate for cheat subscriptions across 15 games; not a Call of Duty-specific figure. |
| $3 billion to $8 billion a year, with a median around $5 billion | Intorqa’s estimate for adjacent cheating services. The analysis notes substantial limitations in its inputs and coverage. |
| About $8.5 billion | A combined midpoint estimate for subscriptions and adjacent services, described by Intorqa as an uncertain, incomplete order-of-magnitude estimate. |
Intorqa says its analysis does not cover every region or game category, and that the estimates carry considerable uncertainty. The combined figure is not a precise measure of the global illicit economy, and none of these numbers establishes how much revenue comes from Call of Duty.
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Quick Recap
What players can do
- If you suspect cheating, use the in-game report flow for the relevant Call of Duty game. Activision says player reports can support enforcement.
- If a PC security check affects matchmaking, read the notification and the official requirements for that specific title and playlist; the April and June updates describe measures that do not apply uniformly to every player.
- If you receive a ban, consult Activision’s enforcement policy for the applicable appeal route. Its policy distinguishes appealable permanent account bans from hardware bans, which are not appealable.
Sources
- Team RICOCHET’s September 18, 2026 update
- Intorqa’s 2026 analysis of cheating-market economics
- Activision Support: RICOCHET Anti-Cheat overview
- Activision’s RICOCHET security and enforcement policy
- Activision’s April 2, 2026 Season 03 update
- Activision’s June 4, 2026 Season 04 update
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