Activision reveal how many Modern Warfare 2 players have been banned

Nathan Warby
Modern Warfare 2 pointing gun at enemy

Cheaters found their way into the Modern Warfare 2 beta, but RICOCHET anti-cheat was on hand to combat those manipulating the game. Now, Activision have revealed how many players were actually banned in the Modern Warfare 2 beta.

The Modern Warfare 2 beta was a success for many reasons. Fans got the opportunity to try out the game’s new weapons and guns ahead of time, while the developers could use player feedback to make positive changes before.

It also gave the team the opportunity to start fighting against those trying to use cheats in matches. Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 are set to feature an “upgraded” RICOCHET anti-cheat system, and the MW2 beta was the first chance to deploy it against hackers.

With the beta now closed and Modern Warfare 2’s full launch just weeks away, Activision have revealed how many cheaters were banned during the beta.

In a post on the Call of Duty blog, the publisher included figures on how many accounts were banned from taking part, both before the beta began and while it was live.

How many players have been banned from Modern Warfare 2

They said: “In preparation for the beta, #TeamRICOCHET banned over 60,000 illicit accounts from our system, denying them access to the event. During the beta itself, over 20,000 bans were issued, ejecting cheaters from participation.”

This means that 72% of players who were found to be using cheats were banned before they ever stepped foot in an actual game. Activision also added that those who managed to get into the beta were removed “within five matches played.”

Captain Price sniping in Modern Warfare 2

News of substantial action against hackers will be reassuring to players ahead of the final game, especially since RICOCHET wasn’t working at full power.

“The benefit of a pre-release beta is being able to test new methodologies and systems ahead of launch to see what is viable, as well as retain the full scope of RICOCHET Anti-Cheat to keep our cards closer to our chest,” Activision said.

“Combating cheaters is an ebb and flow process. There is no simple solution to stop cheating from ever occurring. While only partial anti-cheat systems were deployed for the free-to-play beta, the security team gained valuable learnings of what worked and what did not.”

The “full scope” of RICOCHET anti-cheat won’t go live until Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28, but players can rest assured that the devs are doing their best to make sure matches go as smoothly as possible in Infinity Ward’s sequel.


For more on Modern Warfare 2, take a look at how to get Campaign rewards and the leaked DLCs mission that could arrive in 2023.

Image credits: Activision

About The Author

Nathan is a Senior Writer at CharlieIntel. He’s an expert in EA Sports FC, Call of Duty, and Overwatch, as well as superhero games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man. With a master's degree in Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University, he worked as a Trainee Reporter for Derbyshire Live before moving into games media, with bylines at Dexerto, Cultured Vultures, and more. You can contact Nathan by email at [email protected].