The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta has officially gone live, and, just as predicted, cheaters have wasted no time flooding in. Activision had already warned fans earlier this week that the beta would inevitably attract hackers, but instead of shying away, the company welcomed the challenge, framing it as a testing ground for its upgraded anti-cheat technology. 
The publisher’s security team, known as Team RICOCHET, is actively monitoring every suspicious move, analyzing cheats in real-time, and dropping the ban hammer on offenders.
According to Activision, any player banned for cheating during the beta won’t just lose access to Black Ops 7 – they’ll be banned across the entire Call of Duty ecosystem, from Modern Warfare to upcoming titles. This policy signals just how serious the company is about drawing a line in the sand. While Call of Duty has always had a cheating problem, Activision has been working to sharpen its tools, introducing new detection methods like advanced aimbot recognition and wall-hack tracing designed to make it increasingly difficult for bad actors to hide.
Still, anyone scrolling through social platforms can already find clips of cheaters openly abusing the beta. Videos of players effortlessly locking on to heads or tracking enemies through walls are circulating widely, adding to the frustration of those who just want a fair fight. The official Call of Duty Updates account has responded by assuring fans that many of these cheaters have already been banned, but the damage to player confidence is harder to erase. The hope is that all the data gathered during the beta will allow the system to adapt quickly and cut down the problem when the game launches in November.
Of course, this isn’t a fight unique to Call of Duty. EA’s Battlefield 6 saw its own beta plagued by cheaters, and both publishers have started experimenting with tougher requirements for PC players. Features like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are now mandatory on supported systems, with the goal of preventing modified hardware and blocking unauthorized software that could give unfair advantages. While these steps might make it harder for casual cheaters to slip through, questions remain about whether they can outpace the more determined and resourceful hackers who always seem to find a way back in.
Meanwhile, console players are once again doing what they’ve done for years when a new Call of Duty launches: turning off crossplay. Since cheating is far more common on PC, many console users prefer to lock out their PC counterparts entirely. Activision itself has confirmed that console cheaters are a rarity compared to PC, explaining that most cases where console players appear suspicious are simply down to something called ‘intel advantage’ – knowledge of the map or better positioning – rather than hacks. Even so, the perception persists, and console-only lobbies have become the go-to safety measure for many.
It’s not just about security measures and bans, though. For a lot of fans, cheating erodes the very spirit of multiplayer shooters. As some players point out, it’s baffling that anyone would spend money on cheats or risk their entire account just to win matches by removing all challenge. Others argue it’s a sad reflection of modern gaming culture, where instant gratification outweighs the sense of improvement through skill and perseverance. Whether you blame the cheaters themselves, lax enforcement, or the cat-and-mouse nature of online gaming, the frustration is undeniable.
Looking forward, Black Ops 7’s success will depend on how effective Activision’s measures turn out to be once millions of players log on in November. Console-only crossplay settings and hardware restrictions might buy some breathing room, but the larger battle is about keeping players’ trust. After all, nothing kills the hype of a new release faster than feeling like every match is stacked against you by invisible forces. For now, the beta is doubling as both a sneak peek of the game and a live experiment in Activision’s war on cheaters. The stakes have never been higher – not just for Call of Duty, but for competitive shooters as a whole.