Does Warzone have an anti-cheat system?

Brad Norton
Warzone gameplay

Since the release of Warzone, cheaters and hackers have only become more and more prominent, but is Activision trying to directly combat the issue? Here’s what we know about anti-cheat in Warzone.

Cheating is undoubtedly one of the biggest talking points in the Warzone community. Regardless of which playlist you’re in, you’d be hard-pressed to find a lobby without a single cheater more often than not.

While it was rare at first, the problem has only exploded in recent months. From aimbots that instantly headshot targets to wall-hacks that reveal every player on the map, there’s a wide variety of cheats in Warzone today.

Almost everyone has experienced frustration at the hands of cheaters but how are the developers trying to solve the problem? 

Does Warzone have an anti-cheat system?

You might be surprised to learn that Warzone does in fact have an anti-cheat system. Unfortunately, there’s no real information on the current system in-game. We have no details on how cheaters are detected, how rapidly accounts are shut down, nor the running total for bans across Warzone.

The current anti-cheat operates under the surface without players ever truly knowing how it functions. Unlike more explicit anti-cheat systems such as those found in Valorant or Rainbow Six Siege, Warzone’s is kept completely under wraps.

We do know that the system works to some extent. Cheaters are occasionally shut down, proving the system does its job from time to time. However, it’s certainly not without issues. While a post back in October 2020 revealed that over 200,000 accounts had been banned, a good number of these hit innocent players.

Multiple banwaves have locked out seemingly harmless users without warning or explanation. These come at completely random intervals with the community never quite sure when to expect another influx of bans.

Moreover, Warzone is a free title. Meaning these account bans are essentially ineffective. Cheaters can simply register a new account and continue with their cheating ways. 

In fact, a hacker recently went on record and mocked the current system in-place. The last major banwave lost them roughly 80 accounts though even with this setback, they continue to break the Warzone experience on fresh accounts as though nothing happened.

The lack of a stricter anti-cheat has impacted all levels of play in Warzone. Even the biggest tournaments have been caught in the crossfire due to the ever-growing number of cheaters.

There’s no telling when a more effective system might come into effect either. Fans have been clamoring for months for meaningful updates on the state of anti-cheat. For the time being, it appears to be a topic the devs rarely address.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated if the situation changes.

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About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com