Highlights

  • Activision introduces the Splat feature in Call of Duty: Warzone to deal with cheaters by cutting their parachutes, causing them to plummet to their death.
  • The Ricochet Anti-Cheat software has received major upgrades to combat cheating in Warzone, but hackers still find workarounds.
  • Activision's ultimate goal is to prevent cheaters from entering matches altogether, rather than just punishing them occasionally, and it is using Machine Learning and the Replay Investigation Tool to detect hackers efficiently.

Activision has found a new way to deal with cheaters in Call of Duty: Warzone with its Splat feature, which will cut the cheater’s parachute during deployment upon being detected. This will be implemented via its Ricochet Anti-Cheat software, which has also received major upgrades to prepare for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s launch.

Hackers have been a common problem in Warzone 1 and 2, and Activision only started using its dedicated Ricochet Anti-Cheat software when Call of Duty: Vanguard launched in 2021. While Ricochet has managed to keep the cheating somewhat under control, hackers find workarounds from time to time. Ricochet has received several upgrades since its launch and Activision has also banned thousands of players from Warzone in its ban waves, but the problem still persists. To counter this, the developer has come up with a wild way of dealing with cheaters.

call of duty modern warfare 3
Related
Fans Are Not Happy About the Call of Duty HQ

Call of Duty fans who are downloading Modern Warfare 3 vent about the trials and tribulations presented to them by Call of Duty HQ.

In an official blog post, Activision revealed the upgrades it has made to Ricochet, in a bid to curb cheating. Its latest method of punishing hackers is called Splat, where hackers’ parachutes will be cut, and they will literally plummet to death during deployment upon being discovered. In case a cheater is detected after deployment, Splat will "adjust player velocity, which transforms a bunny hop into a 10,000-foot drop taking them out instantly." However, Splat won’t be activated by player reporting, which makes its implementation tricky. Activision also mentioned that its ultimate goal is to prevent cheaters from entering matches in Call of Duty: Warzone altogether, rather than tormenting them occasionally. In addition to this, the post also revealed how Ricochet is using Machine Learning to combat cheaters, and explained its integration with the Replay Investigation Tool to detect hackers efficiently.

But what if we catch them after they’ve deployed? Well, Splat can also adjust player velocity, which transforms a bunny hop into a 10,000-foot drop taking them out instantly.

the new gulag in call of duty warzone.

Aside from this, Call of Duty: Warzone is also getting a brand-new map called Urzikstan. This map will be smaller compared to Al Mazrah, but will have a denser environment to make combat more intense. There will be around 11 major POIs on the map, and players will also have access to movement mechanics like slide-canceling from Modern Warfare 3.

Despite some promising changes, Modern Warfare 3 has had a strenuous launch. Reports suggested that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had a rushed development; however, Sledgehammer Games' studio head denied these claims and assured the fans that the game was planned well in advance.