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Microsoft withdrew the PC Microsoft Store/Game Pass version of Call of Duty: WWII in July 2025 after players reported apparent PC takeovers during matches. The incident was described in contemporary reporting as a possible remote-code-execution vulnerability involving an outdated build. That does not establish that every version of the game—or every player—was compromised.
If you installed or played the affected Microsoft-distributed PC version, the safest choice is not to launch it again until Microsoft or Activision confirms that a fixed package is available. Run a security scan and treat unusual system activity as a potential compromise rather than assuming that uninstalling the game alone resolves the problem.
What happened to Call of Duty: WWII?
Call of Duty: WWII was added to PC Game Pass and the Microsoft Store in June 2025. In early July, players began reporting suspicious activity while playing the PC release, including claims that attackers could interfere with or take control of their computers.
On July 4, 2025, the Call of Duty Updates account said that the PC Microsoft Store version had been taken offline while the reports were investigated. Contemporaneous reporting from Thurrott later connected the incident to a reported remote-code-execution flaw and said the distributed build appeared to be older than versions containing an earlier fix.
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The precise wording matters. The evidence supports “Microsoft withdrew the PC Microsoft Store version while investigating reports of hacks.” It does not support saying that Microsoft permanently removed the entire game from every storefront, or that all editions were affected.
Timeline of the incident
- June 2025: Call of Duty: WWII was added to PC Game Pass and the Microsoft Store.
- Early July 2025: Players began posting reports of apparent hacking or malicious activity during PC matches.
- July 4, 2025: Call of Duty Updates said the PC Microsoft Store version had been taken offline while the issue was investigated.
- July 9, 2025: Thurrott published its report, and the incident was also discussed on Windows Weekly episode 940.
What is a remote-code-execution vulnerability?
Remote code execution, commonly shortened to RCE, is a serious class of security flaw. In the worst case, it allows someone to make another computer execute code over a network without the owner intentionally running that code.
That is substantially more serious than an ordinary multiplayer cheat. A cheat might reveal opponents or alter a match. An RCE vulnerability can potentially cross the boundary from the game into the operating system, allowing malware installation or other unauthorized control.
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Those consequences were reported in connection with the Call of Duty: WWII incident, but the available material does not independently establish how many players were affected, whether every reported video showed a genuine exploit, or whether attackers retained access after the game closed. Players reported apparent PC takeovers, and the platform response indicates that the reports were serious enough to prompt a takedown. That is different from Microsoft confirming that every report represented a successful malware infection.
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The age of the game itself is not the decisive issue. Older games often contain legacy networking, matchmaking, or multiplayer components that remain exposed when the title is reissued on a newer distribution channel.
A security fix can exist in one release while another storefront distributes an earlier executable. Platform packages can differ because of separate certification, entitlement, update, and maintenance pipelines. Adding a title to Game Pass therefore does not, by itself, prove that the newest security-fixed build was packaged for every platform.
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According to the available reporting, the Microsoft-distributed version appeared to be an older build that lacked a fix present in earlier versions. That explanation has not been accompanied in the supplied material by a Microsoft postmortem identifying the exact packaging failure, so it should be treated as reported rather than as a confirmed internal finding.
Which versions were affected?
The incident should be understood as a platform- and build-specific problem, not as proof that every copy of Call of Duty: WWII was compromised.
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| Version or channel | What the available evidence establishes |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Store PC | Reportedly taken offline while the issue was investigated. |
| PC Game Pass | Associated with Microsoft’s PC distribution, but the exact package and installation status require confirmation. |
| Xbox console | Not shown by the available evidence to be affected by this reported PC vulnerability. |
| Steam PC | The supplied evidence does not establish whether this release contains the relevant fix. |
| Physical or older retail copies | The supplied evidence does not establish their security status. |
There was also an apparent inconsistency in Microsoft interfaces: the title could reportedly remain visible or appear installable through some Store or Xbox-app/Game Pass paths even after the takedown. A visible listing does not necessarily mean that the underlying package is available, enabled, or replaced. Storefront visibility, installation entitlement, and the actual executable are separate things.
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What players should do
- Do not launch the affected PC build. If the Microsoft Store or PC Game Pass installation is still present and its patch status is unclear, leave it unopened.
- Uninstall it or keep it disabled while waiting for an official fixed package. Uninstalling removes the game’s files, but it is not proof that a machine is clean.
- Run a current Windows security scan. Use your up-to-date security software and investigate warnings rather than dismissing them.
- Check for signs of compromise. Look for unexpected programs, startup entries, browser extensions, new files, unusual processes, unexplained cursor or window activity, or account notifications you do not recognize.
- Change important passwords from a different trusted device if you played during the reported incident window and see signs of compromise. Prioritize email, Microsoft, gaming, and financial accounts, and do not reuse passwords.
- Enable multifactor authentication on those accounts.
- Disconnect a computer showing active takeover behavior. Stop using it for sensitive activity and seek professional security or incident-response help. Depending on the evidence, a full restore or reinstallation may be more appropriate than a routine scan.
These are prudent general precautions, not an official Microsoft cleanup procedure. The supplied reporting does not identify a confirmed victim count or publish a dedicated remediation process.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does uninstalling the game remove an infection?
No—not necessarily. Uninstalling normally removes the game and its associated files, but it cannot establish that malware, persistence mechanisms, altered accounts, or stolen credentials are gone. A clean scan is useful, but it is not an absolute forensic guarantee.
If you observed only a normal crash or a strange match, that alone does not prove an operating-system compromise. If you saw remote cursor movement, unexpected windows, new software, disabled security tools, or other clear takeover behavior, treat the computer as potentially compromised and escalate the response.
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Can you safely play another version?
Do not assume that another edition is automatically safe simply because it has the same title. Steam, Microsoft Store, Game Pass, console, and physical releases can use different binaries and patch histories.
A Steam or other officially maintained PC release may be a separate option if its current build and security status are confirmed. The Xbox console edition is also a distinct platform, and the available evidence does not show that this reported PC RCE affected it. However, the supplied material does not verify the security status of every alternative edition as of August 18, 2026. Waiting for a clear restoration or security statement from Microsoft or Activision is the most cautious option.
What remains unknown
The available coverage does not settle several important questions:
- the exact affected package or build number;
- whether only the Microsoft Store/Game Pass build contained the relevant vulnerability;
- the number of confirmed victims;
- the identity or operating method of the attackers;
- whether reported incidents involved malware, account compromise, cheating, or unrelated infections;
- whether attackers obtained persistence after the game closed;
- whether personal or payment data was exfiltrated;
- the date and conditions of any restoration;
- whether all regions and Microsoft interfaces received the same package state; and
- whether players who launched the build require a specific cleanup or account-reset procedure.
Those gaps are why a precise description is safer than a sweeping headline. Microsoft owns Activision Blizzard, but the public material does not establish which internal team uploaded, certified, maintained, or withdrew the package. The defensible description is that Microsoft took the PC Store version offline and that the Microsoft-distributed PC build was reportedly involved.
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This was a real and serious reported security incident involving the PC Microsoft Store/Game Pass distribution of Call of Duty: WWII. The strongest available conclusion is that Microsoft temporarily withdrew that distribution after credible reports of a possible RCE vulnerability associated with an outdated build.
Do not treat every edition as identical, do not infer that a visible Store listing is patched, and do not launch the affected PC build until its security status is confirmed. If you already played it, scan the system and investigate any unusual behavior; uninstalling alone is not a complete compromise response.
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