Warzone & Vanguard RICOCHET Anti-Cheat: Kernel-level driver live in Warzone worldwide
Activision and Call of Duty have now fully released the RICOCHET anti-cheat system in Warzone, with the kernel-level drivers now live worldwide. Here’s everything you need to know about Vanguard and Warzone’s RICOCHET, which is designed to combat cheating and hacking problems that the game has experienced for years.
Cheating has become a point of contention among fans of Call of Duty, as hacks in Warzone allowed players to become invincible, while Black Ops Cold War saw gamers using five weapons at once. While Activision has been banning cheaters in multiple ban waves, fans have been repeatedly calling for a better anti-cheat system to further address the problem.
The creators of Call of Duty have been listening to these cries and have officially dropped the new RICOCHET Anti-Cheat, with the kernel-level drivers now live in Warzone Pacific. This system is specifically developed from the ground up for the franchise by a new in-house team who are dedicated to maintaining and servicing the system.
Here’s everything you need to know about RICOCHET Anti-Cheat.
- Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat PC Kernel-Level Driver
- Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Server Enhancements
- RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Commitment to Fair Play
- Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat release date
Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat PC Kernel-Level Driver
The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat system now features a PC kernel-level driver that has now arrived in Warzone, with the release on Vanguard to come at a later date.
In a blog post following Warzone Pacific’s December 15 update, the developers announced that the “kernel-level driver has now been deployed for all users, worldwide.”
The first of its kind in the Call of Duty franchise, the kernel-level driver will “assist in the identification of cheaters, reinforcing and strengthening the overall server security” by checking “software and applications that attempt to interact and manipulate Warzone, providing the security team more data to boost security.”
While the driver itself is only available on PC, Activision says that console players who have crossplay enabled will benefit by extension.
Activision has confirmed that the kernel-level driver is required to play Call of Duty: Warzone. Players on PC will be unable to play Warzone if they don’t want to have the kernel-level driver installed.
Activision has also provided more information on the kernel level aspect of RICOCHET Anti-Cheat, including addressing privacy concerns some PC players may have as part of this experience.
Here are the key points on how RICOCHET Anti-Cheat will protect privacy:
- RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s kernel-level driver operates ONLY while playing Call of Duty: Warzone on PC.
- RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s driver is not always-on.
- RICOCHET Anti-Cheat’s driver monitors the software and applications that interact with Call of Duty: Warzone.
- When you shut down Call of Duty: Warzone, the driver turns off.
Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Server Enhancements
Call of Duty’s new RICOCHET Anti-Cheat system delivers server-level enhancements to better provide backend security and protection against hackers. It first arrived with Call of Duty Vanguard in November and is now fully live in Warzone Pacific.
In a blog post from Call of Duty, the company states that the “RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is a multi-faceted approach to combat cheating,” with the system’s “new server-side tools” able to “monitor analytics to identify cheating.”
On top of that, RICOCHET will also allow for “enhanced investigation processes to stamp out cheaters,” while also working on updates to “strengthen account security.”
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat Commitment to Fair Play
The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team is determined in their efforts to ensure Warzone & Call of Duty is fair.
The company states that the system also features Machine Learning (ML) software which will use “algorithms” to “examine gameplay data from the server, helping to identify suspicious behavior trends, and add another layer of security.”
They also reiterated that player reporting tools will be available in-game to ensure that players can continue to report those who are suspected of cheating.
Activision says that they plan to announce RICOCHET anti-cheat’s arrival across all of their communications channels to ensure players are aware of the new level of anti-cheat in Call of Duty.
The team also stated that they are not stopping in their efforts to ensure Call of Duty is fair for everyone to play: “The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team’s commitment is the relentless pursuit of fair play which is fought against the sophisticated issue of cheating. We are determined to evolve the system over time, fighting for the community against those that aim to spoil their gaming experience.”
The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team’s commitment is the relentless pursuit of fair play, which is fought against the sophisticated issue of cheating. We are dedicated and determined to evolve the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat System over time, fighting for the community against those that aim to spoil their gaming experience.
Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat release date
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is already live across Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone with server-side updates and other backend elements to combat cheating.
The Call of Duty blog said that,”With the launch of Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific, #TeamRICOCHET continues its new anti-cheat security initiative with the rollout of an internally developed PC kernel-level driver for Warzone,” which was activated first in the Asia-Pacific region before expanding worldwide on December 15.
The server-side upgrades as part of the overall RICOCHET Anti-Cheat program have been live in Vanguard and Warzone since the launch of Call of Duty: Vanguard. Since then, #TeamRICOCHET has made several updates to anti-cheat security for both titles, as well as targeting cheat developers, account resellers, and making changes to its security enforcement policy.
This week, the new – previously announced – PC kernel-level driver developed internally for Call of Duty begins its release. The driver will first launch in Warzone in the Asia-Pacific region before expanding to other regions.
This strategic launch approach allows us to monitor stability, collect feedback, and make any required updates before expanding the rollout. Additionally, information about cheating behavior provided by the kernel-level driver will help enforce security for all players around the world.
You can also check out everything coming with Warzone and Vanguard’s Festive Fervor event, which launches on December 16.
SOURCE: Call of Duty Blog / Activision Support
Image Credit: Activision