Skip to main content

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

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.

Recommended Videos

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.”

Billy Givens
Billy Givens is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. He started as a…
The best Augments in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
A screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's zombies mode.

Longtime fans of the Zombies mode in past Call of Duty games are no doubt loving the return to the round-based structure Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has taken. Between the Perks, Pack-A-Punch machines, and Easter eggs, there's already a ton of content to explore in the first two maps. Whether you're new to the mode or know all the tips and tricks from past games, there's one element that has most players scratching their heads. Augments are hardly explained in Black Ops 6 and are largely ignored because of this. However, ignoring this mechanic will only make life harder for you and your team. We've done all the research required to tell you how Augments work and which ones you should try to get first in Black Ops 6.
How Augments work in Black Ops 6

In short, Augments are equippable passive perks that add an additional minor or major effect to either a Perk, field upgrade, or ammo mod. Each one of these has six possible augments -- three minor and three major -- that each give a different buff. But there are two things you need to do before you can even begin tinkering with these Augments.

Read more
Black Ops 6 might be the biggest Call of Duty release ever
Soldiers near a train in Black Ops 6.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is on track to be the most successful Call of Duty release in the franchise's history thanks to a record-breaking launch, according to Activision and Microsoft.

The companies revealed that Black Ops 6 had the biggest three-day opening for the series by many metrics. It had the most players, most hours played, and the most total matches, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter). The game also got a shout-out during Microsoft's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday.

Read more
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies: tips and tricks for beginners
A bunch of characters standing around with guns getting attacked by flying giant bugs in Call of Duty's zombies mode

After the backlash surrounding the Zombies mode in Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has returned to the round-based roots we all know and love. Well, the structure might be familiar, but this mode has more than its fair share of new tricks that will see you getting swarmed in seconds if you can't learn to adapt. If you're familiar with how Call of Duty handles its Zombies mode, you will know that there's a lot more you need to know besides just shooting zombies if you want to make it to the later rounds. If you want to survive as long as possible, we have the key tips and tricks to withstand the zombie horde in Black Ops 6.
The basics still apply

There are a few tips from past Zombies games that will serve you well here in Black Ops 6 that are worth a quick reminder. Starting off with the need to conserve ammo in the early game. Zombies are weakest in the first handful of rounds, but ammo is incredibly scarce. You can't count on getting more when you need it, so save as much as possible and try to melee as many zombies as possible. Only shoot if you get swarmed, need to save a teammate, or when a boss or elite shows up.

Read more