Call of Duty’s new ‘cloaking’ feature trolls cheaters

By Billy Givens April 27, 2022

Activision has announced a new anti-cheat measure for Call of Duty: Vanguard that is certain to frustrate cheaters and give everyone else a hearty laugh.

The company announced in a blog post that a fresh feature called “cloaking” will serve as a hilarious method of exposing and punishing cheaters by rendering them unable to see other players in matches. Everyone else in the match can still see the cheater, though, allowing them an opportunity to dish out plenty of in-game punishment on the helpless scoundrel. Providing the community a chance to get payback against ne’er-do-wells is an interesting move and one that is certain to result in some great fun.

In addition to cloaking, Activision also shared that “any security enforcement that results in a ban to a player will be reflected in the leaderboard for each title.” In other words, anyone caught cheating will be removed and unable to place on the global leaderboards, solving the frustrations many players had with cheaters occupying top-ranking spots.

The post also pointed out that another 54,000 additional accounts have been banned for cheating — news that comes on the heels of another recent ban wave that found and removed over 90,000 accounts. Activision hopes this crackdown lets players know that it is taking things seriously, but the company has asked that players continue to make use of the game’s reporting system, calling the information “invaluable” in the ongoing battle against those who wish to ruin games for everyone else.

These anticheat measures are now available for Call of Duty: Vanguard, and Activision has stated that they will come to Warzone following “a period of examining how these updates are functioning.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

PC
Tech News

Gaming Writer

Billy Givens is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. His work can be…

Gaming

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 Season 2 makes 5 excellent improvements

Character wielding swords on Ashika Island in Warzone 2.0.

The wait is finally over. Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 Season 2 is here, and it comes with a lengthy list of changes, many of which are major improvements. Activision detailed a slew of patch notes for the all-new season, breaking down all the changes and fresh features. Warzone 2.0 has been in an odd spot lately, so it's heartening to see so many positive changes. While there's plenty to be excited about, which new features or changes are the most notable? Here are five of the most substantial additions to Warzone 2.0 Season 2.
Weapon balancing

Season 2 has introduced plenty of weapon changes in an attempt to balance and shake up the meta. While it's unclear how exactly that's shifted since the season is so new, one thing is certain: the top contenders from before are no longer overpowered. These include the Fennec 45 and the RPK, both of which were absurdly powerful previously, leaving most other weapons in the dust.

Gaming

Modern Warfare 2’s new season is proof Call of Duty needs to take a year off

Main characters of Modern Warfare 2.

The eagerly anticipated second season of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has a lot in store. It'll incorporate a new small-scale Warzone 2.0 battle royale map called Ashika Island, along with new DMZ features and a fresh set of weapons to try out. While Season 2 certainly has lots of exciting new content in the pipeline, things are looking dire for Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, as very few new features are planned for the update.

Sure, it's nice that Warzone 2.0 and DMZ are getting so much attention during Season 2, but the latest update is a grim sign for the overall life cycle of Modern Warfare 2 -- a game that seems to have been left in the dust as Activision sprints on to its next project,
Modern Warfare 2 road map
So, what exactly is Modern Warfare 2 getting alongside Season 2? On paper, it seems like a sizeable amount. That is, until you break down what's in the works.

Gaming

U.K. wants Call of Duty removed from Microsoft’s Activision acquisition

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.

Microsoft has hit a major roadblock in its attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard, as the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has determined that the deal "could harm U.K. gamers." For the deal to go through, the CWA is suggesting some major concessions, like Activision Blizzard divesting in the Call of Duty or Activision segments of its business ahead of the acquisition.
A notice of possible remedies document asks Activision Blizzard to do one of the following three things if it doesn't want the acquisition to be potentially prohibited.

"Divestiture of the business associated with Call of Duty."
"Divestiture of the Activision segment of Activision Blizzard, Inc., which would include the business associated with Call of Duty."
"Divestiture of the Activision segment and the Blizzard segment of Activision Blizzard Inc., which would include the business associated with Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, among other titles."