Black Ops 7 reveals new anti-cheat update for Season 2

Next season of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and War zone will have some new ways to detect and remove cheaters, according to an update from the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat development team. The upcoming changes to RICOCHET Anti-Cheat will take effect in both Black Ops 7 and War zone in the coming days.

In short, RICOCHET is the Anti-Cheat system Call of Dutys proprietary method for catching and punishing cheaters in various game modes. RICOCHET uses both client-side detection tools and server-side technology to analyze game data and see if any irregularities appear. RICOCHET is used on both consoles and computers. But especially on Windows computers, RICOCHET Anti-Cheat uses a kernel-level driver to enable real-time cheat detection. By the end of 2025, RICOCHET requires Windows users to have both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled on their devices.

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Activision ups the ante against cheaters

As time goes by Black Ops 7 and War zone Season 1, Activision released new countermeasures to combat cheating in Season 2. Activision stated in a blog post on February 2 that RICOCHET Anti-Cheat would be updated with improved systems to detect potential cheaters using devices such as Cronus Zen and XIM Matrix to gain an unfair advantage in a match. In short, Cronus Zen and XIM Matrix are devices that can run custom scripts and macros to reduce recoil and provide aim assistance. Although both devices can be used in some cases for accessibility reasons, Cronus Zen and XIM Matrix are prohibited by Call of Duty and other major shooter titles due to bypassing the game's built-in recoil mechanics.

As a follow-up to some changes made to RICOCHET Anti-Cheat during Black Ops 7 beta, season 2 RICOCHET update will use another layer of protection to fight back against cheaters. The update will use new detection methods to disable Cronus Zen and XIM Matrix, rendering them unusable in Call of Duty. In addition, Microsoft Azure Attestation will be used to verify PC integrity remotely, and will work alongside TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements on Windows PCs. The changes will take effect when Season 2 begins Black Ops 7 and War zone on Thursday, February 5 at 12:00 PM Eastern.

Black Ops 7 and Warzone Season 2 are loaded with content

Season 2 of Black Ops 7 and War zone highlighted by the arrival of several multiplayer maps and modes. IN Black Ops 7slums from Black Ops 2 will be remastered for Season 2, along with brand new maps called Torment, Sake, and Nexus. A new Safeguard game mode will be available at the beginning of Black Ops 7 Season 2, although other modes like Third Wheel Gunfight will come later in the launch window. War zone Season 2 will add new weapons and operators, along with new battle pass content for players to enjoy. Considering the new Call of Duty seasons often come with a large patch to download, users should set aside time on launch day to download and install the new update and free up storage space if needed.

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Aside from the download, most Black Ops 7 and War zone players do not need to do anything to ensure compliance for Season 2. Although Activision has sent cease and desist notices to Cronus Zen in the past, it has not stopped Call of Duty developers from making improvements to RICOCHET. With Season 2 just around the corner, time will tell how effective it is Call of Dutys new cloud-based countermeasures will be against Cronus Zen, XIM Matrix and similar devices.