"The game will be dead by then": FaZe Swagg reacts after Activision promises to upgrade anti-cheat in Warzone and Black Ops 6 Season 2

On December 16, 2024, Activision announced significant upgrades to the anti-cheat systems for Warzone and Black Ops 6. However, these changes will not be implemented immediately and are scheduled for the Season 2 and Season 3 updates. In response to this, FaZe Swagg, a prominent streamer, commented:

"The game will be dead by then."

This article delves into the reasons behind his statement and examines the current state of cheaters in Warzone and Black Ops 6.

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Why did FaZe Swagg criticize the anti-cheat upgrade in Warzone and Black Ops 6?

The cheating situation in Warzone and Black Ops 6 Ranked Play has become increasingly severe, with cheaters infiltrating lobbies at alarming rates. Since Black Ops 6 requires a purchase to access, some cheaters held back fearing a potential financial loss if banned. However, Warzone being a free-to-play title has led to a surge of cheaters exploiting the game.

In response to the backlash, Activision announced massive upgrades to its anti-cheat system, Ricochet, aimed at combating the problem. These upgrades will enhance the Kernel-Level Driver and introduce new server-side protections designed to both punish and prevent cheaters from accessing the titles. However, these updates are planned for the Season 2 and Season 3 rollouts, leaving a gap of 44 days until the next season begins.

Concerned about the current state of the game, FaZe Swagg criticized the delay, claiming that Warzone and Black Ops 6 might not survive until the updates are implemented. The prolonged presence of cheaters could drive legitimate players away out of frustration, potentially damaging the franchise's reputation. Even if the anti-cheat upgrades address the issue successfully, many players might choose not to return, leaving a lasting impact on the concurrent player count.

Recently, Fifakill, a prominent professional Warzone player, expressed his frustration on social media. After encountering multiple cheaters during a 10-hour stream, his optimism was crushed when he came across another one in his second match the following day.

To address these immediate concerns, Activision has highlighted certain measures in the blog post about Ricochet, including:

• They are ramping up the pace at which cheaters are being punished and accounts will be banned on an hourly basis.
• They are cleaning up their in-game leaderboards and ensuring that the changes sync as quickly as possible.
• They have expanded their "Replay Investigation render farm," which is essentially computers examining reported players to determine their authenticity. They have also increased the group size responsible for manual reviews.

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Conclusion

Although Activision is working to reduce the number of cheaters, completely eliminating them remains a daunting task. Until the major anti-cheat upgrades are implemented, the focus should be on actively investigating potential cheaters and enforcing aggressive bans. However, this approach risks mistakenly shadowbanning legitimate players, which could further harm the game’s reputation.

Given the limited options available, developers need to optimize Ricochet to reduce cheating to a manageable level. Maintaining this balance will be crucial until the next major Ricochet update goes live.

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