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Hacked Call of Duty: Warzone players getting locked out of their own accounts

Jon Silman
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Some Call of Duty: Warzone players are getting hacked and losing access to their accounts.

The hackers have asked some players for ransom in Bitcoin to unlock and return the accounts More valuable accounts, such as those with rare weapon skins purchased with real-world money or earned by putting in playing time, can also be purchased on the Warzone black market. Some of these accounts can sell for in the hundreds of dollars, according to Vice.

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“I turned it on one day, and my account was logged out, and I couldn’t sign in with my credentials, so I made a new account because I could not get in contact with Activision support, which I’m so mad about,” one player told Vice. Other Twitter users agree.

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What joy are you possibly getting from cheating in warzone? I hope you never experience happiness in your life.

— Jodel (@JoJo_ramz) September 8, 2020

Warzone cheating is out of control. How is it that one of the largest/most successful companies in the world can't develop a half decent anti cheat?

— Conrax (@ConraxYT) September 8, 2020

Microtransactions in Warzone are a significant moneymaker for publisher Activision. Last year, they helped in-game spending grow to $596 million, according to the company. In Warzone, all of a player’s purchased skins, ranking, and customization are tied to an account. If someone can’t access their account, they lose access to everything.

In some cases, a hacker will gain access using a recycled password acquired through another breach. Once they get access, the hacker will change the account email and password, locking out the original owner. Some users then get a message demanding payment for access.

Activision’s slow response has created another issue for affected gamers.

“I contacted Activision Support via chat this time, and they have no record of my support request I made 10 hours ago, even though I gave them the reference number on the email,” another Warzone player told Vice.

Digital Trends reached out to Activision but did not receive an immediate response. We will update this story when we hear back.  In April, the Activision Games blog posted that cheaters were not welcome in the game, and explained what the company was doing about it.

Activision said it’s been enforcing bans for cheaters since the game’s release, and that security teams work “24/7 to investigate data and identify potential infractions. ”

“The teams review all possible cheats and hacks — this includes identifying use of aimbots, wallhacks, and more,” Activision said. “We’re working to improve our in-game system for reporting potential cheating. Plans are underway to streamline the UI for a more seamless reporting experience.”

We're really sorry about the cheating problem!

We're expanding the current detection system this week to improve things

We also have a BIG update in the next couple of weeks that adds the same anti-cheat used by games such as Fortnite

Thanks for bearing with us!

[Not BeanBot]

— Fall Guys | BeanBot Activated ???? (@FallGuysGame) September 6, 2020

It’s an issue other games have faced. Fortnite and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout both continue to deal with hackers and have issued information and advice for players.

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