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Activision's Ricochet anti-cheat team has begun blocking Warzone Agent, a paid third-party tool used to select easier multiplayer lobbies, and warned that accounts and hardware remain subject to enforcement.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Activision's Call of Duty team announced on X that it has begun taking action against Warzone Agent, a paid, unauthorised third-party tool used to lobby shop in Call of Duty: Warzone. Action against the tool began the day before the November 6 post, according to the announcement.
Lobby shopping lets players cycle through live warm-up lobbies to find easier matches and avoid tougher competition, which creates a disadvantage for everyone else looking for a match, Activision said.
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat will block players who try to load Warzone Agent and instruct them to unload it before they access Multiplayer, Call of Duty said. Going forward, players who leave the software loaded will not be able to enter Multiplayer modes.
"Using unauthorized software to manipulate the player experience violates Activision Terms of Use and leaves your account and hardware subject to enforcement," the follow-up post stated. The company said it is acting "to protect legitimate players from those willing to pay for underhanded methods of gaining an edge."
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is Call of Duty's proprietary anti-cheat initiative. According to the official Call of Duty site, it is a multi-layered system that uses server-side tools to detect and disrupt cheating alongside a kernel-level driver on PC that monitors software interacting with protected titles. The driver runs only while a protected Call of Duty game is open and turns off when the game is closed, and it only monitors software that interacts with those titles.
Warzone is Activision's free-to-play battle royale companion within that protected lineup. The crackdown on Warzone Agent targets a paid matchmaking abuse tool rather than aimbots or wallhacks, and Activision warned that accounts and hardware used with unauthorised software remain subject to enforcement under its Terms of Use.
The ability to cherrypick the lobby with the lowest-skilled players possible bypasses the game's matchmaking algorithm, potentially affecting the experience for other players in the match. Historically, content creators have used the app and other methods to post impressive kill records.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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