Modern Warfare 2 players hit with “false bans” as reporting system slammed

Joe Craven
Modern Warfare 2 characters on Santa Sena Border Crossing map

Modern Warfare 2 players continue to struggle with “false bans”, with the 2022 title’s in-game reporting feature coming under serious scrutiny. 

Call of Duty’s recent issues with cheaters have been well documented. From Warzone and Modern Warfare through the end of Vanguard’s life cycle, issues with cheaters and hackers of all varieties plagued Activision’s FPS.

While RICOCHET’s implementation from MW2’s launch has alleviated the problem to a significant extent, some are finding that it’s actually gone too far the other way. 

That is to say that plenty of players are reporting being falsely banned, often prompted by in-game reports. 

Currently, any player can report an enemy in-game that they suspect of cheating. While that has its benefits, it also means that frustrated and/or toxic players can report a player they know not to be cheating. That is, according to a host of affected individuals, exactly what is happening.

MW2 players still reporting “false bans” 

In a December 27 Reddit post, one player reported their account being locked and “under review”. 

The message says that their account is “being reviewed to determine a potential violation. Unfortunately, we are unable to inform you when the process will be complete.” 

According to the OP, they have been locked out of playing for a week and their account status has not yet changed. They said: “Been a week, still not out. Here’s to another week! Or even longer who knows. You’re welcome for the free money!”

Another player, on a similar note, called for the devs to change the reporting system in MW2. 

They claimed: “I’ve seen so many cases of players being falsely banned or shadow banned because players on the other team didn’t like that they got destroyed.”

A third claimed to have been wrongfully banned for over two weeks despite not cheating or being toxic on voice chat. 

It joins calls from more prominent community figures, like DougIsRaw, who have been the target of reporting waves in Warzone 2.0

As of the time of writing, Infinity Ward have not addressed the issues publicly.

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About The Author

Joe is a former writer for Dexerto, who focused on Call of Duty, FIFA, Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege.