'Call of Duty' installs AI detectors to weed cheaters out of the game quickly

[Garth Gator]

 

Activision is stepping up its fight against cheaters with the launch of a new AI-powered system designed to root out bad actors in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Dubbed RICOCHET Anti-Cheat, the program aims to detect and ban cheaters within one hour of their first match, part of an ongoing effort to safeguard the integrity of the gaming experience. With cheat developers growing more sophisticated, the gaming company says it has poured millions into developing advanced technology that includes kernel-level drivers and machine-learning tools to stay ahead.

 

For those unfamiliar with cheating in online games, it usually involves software that grants unfair advantages—like revealing hidden opponents or automating actions with inhuman precision. These exploitations distort gameplay and frustrate other players, creating an unfair environment. The new AI system tackles the problem by studying gameplay patterns, identifying suspicious behavior, and separating genuine players from cheaters.

 

The AI is trained to detect patterns that even sophisticated cheats leave behind. “How people play—the legit, the phony, the good, and the bad—gives us information,” Activision explains. This behavioral approach not only potentially helps pinpoint cheaters but also allows the system to act quickly, improving the experience for honest players.

 

The system’s performance during the Black Ops 6 beta weekends showed optimistic results, with cheaters being removed faster as the system learned from early data.

 

During the very first beta weekend, the AI was able to detect and ban cheaters after an average of 10 matches. After fine-tuning the system, Activision slashed the time to just five matches by the second weekend. A quarter of these bans during the second week were triggered after just one game. Additionally, the system blocked over 12,000 confirmed ill-intending accounts from even entering a match during the beta phase, shutting down cheats before they disrupt gameplay.

 

Moving forward, Activision plans to further refine the AI’s detection capabilities and explore other ways the technology can enhance fair play. The company is leveraging data from the Call of Duty League—where every stat is thoroughly tracked—to develop profiles that distinguish between exceptionally skilled players and suspicious behavior. While the battle against suspicious players is ongoing, the new efforts are here to make cheating a losing game.

 

 

• https://www.ign.com/articles/activision-says-it-wants-to-catch-and-remove-call-of-duty-cheaters-within-1-hour-of-them-being-in-their-first-match 
• https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/24/10/41435803/activisions-new-ai-strategy-aims-to-ban-call-of-duty-cheaters-within-one-hour-of-their-first-match 
• https://fandomwire.com/bad-news-for-call-of-duty-fans-activision-vows-to-use-ai-to-ban-cheaters-in-record-time-but-theres-a-catch/ 
• https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/call-of-duty-black-ops-6-cheat-busting-upgrade-ricochet-3804702 

 

 

Image: Call of Duty