Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

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

Jon Silman
By

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.

Recommended Videos

“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.

Related

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Silman
Jon Silman
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III trailer teases a No Russian reimagining
No Russian's reimagining in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Activision Blizzard has fully pulled back the curtain on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III following an in-game event in its predecessor. This came alongside new gameplay that concludes by teasing a rebooted version of the series' infamous No Russian mission.
The gameplay trailer focuses on the campaign missions, which got a lot more detail in a post on the game's website. It affirms that the game follows Task Force 141 as they take on Vladimir Makarov and will feature some "Open Combat Missions" that give players multiple ways to complete objectives. The gameplay seems to mainly feature a stealthy run to one of these levels. Of course, the trailer's most shocking moment comes at the end.
Gameplay Reveal Trailer | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
We see Makarov text someone "No Russian," before they pull out a gun on a crowded plane. If you don't remember, No Russian was one of the original Modern Warfare II's most infamous missions, as it had players partake in a mass shooting terrorist attack at an airport with Russians. The level has influenced the tone of this rebooted Modern Warfare series, and it now looks like Modern Warfare III is set to reimagine this mission in some way, following up the Modern Warfare II post-credit scene that referenced it.

While the trailer focused on the campaign mainly, that post confirmed a lot of new info on multiplayer and Modern Warfare Zombies too. Its multiplayer features all 16 launch maps from 2009's Modern Warfare II, two larger Battle maps for Ground War and Invasion, and an even bigger War map for the return of the War Mode introduced in Call of Duty: WWII. Map voting returns, so you can have a say in where you want to play a match.  Finally, Activision says Modern Warfare Zombies takes place in a new open world where players will fight Dark Aether Zombies, complete missions, and incorporate Extraction game elements. 
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III launches on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 10.

Read more
Activision teases Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s biggest improvements
The official logo for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

Activision has just teased lots of new details about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, which launches this November. That includes the fact that the game will contain a Zombies mode, more open-ended campaign missions, and introduce a new "Call of Duty HQ" that will serve as a hub for all future Call of Duty games.

These details were all revealed in a new blog post posted on the series' website ahead of the in-game event that will give us our first in-depth look at Modern Warfare II. In it, Activision clears up a lot of rumors about the game to try and show that Modern Warfare III is still an "incredible, premium annual game experience across Campaign, Multiplayer and Co-operative modes" despite reportedly starting development as a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II expansion.
Some of the features listed we already knew about, like the fact that this year's campaign features Makarov as a villain and that players can carry over their progression and inventory from Modern Warfare II. Others are new, though, like the fact that the campaign will feature new "Open Combat" missions. That seems to imply that Modern Warfare III's campaign levels will offer more freedom than is typical in a Call of Duty level. When it comes to multiplayer, the post states that players can expect new combat vest, perk, tac-stance movement, and after-market parts systems in addition to some Riochet Anti-Cheat Improvements.
More importantly, it's finally officially confirmed that this year's game will feature a Zombies mode. Titled Modern Warfare Zombies, Activision calls it the "largest Zombies offering to date." Finally, Activision made it clear that it plans on keeping all Call of Duty content closely bundled together going forward. After Modern Warfare III launches, Call of Duty HQ will be introduced and serve as "one access point for your future Call of Duty content."
While there aren't many specifics on all of these things, we at least now have a broader picture of what to expect from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III when it launches on November 10.

Read more
Does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have Hardcore mode?
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 guy with a gun

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players have access to a wide variety of multiplayer game modes including Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, and the new Prisoner Capture. One of the most popular modes in the series is Hardcore, which has been in the series for years. This intense mode removes the HUD and increases damage across the board. But does this mode appear in the new Modern Warfare 2?

Here's what you need to know about the Hardcore mode in Modern Warfare 2.
Does Modern Warfare 2 have a Hardcore mode?
When Modern Warfare 2 first launched, it didn't have a Hardcode mode, much to the disappointment of fans. Instead, the game had a mode called Tier 1, which was basically a rudimentary version of Hardcore mode, with some missing features. For instance, there's no HUD, whatsoever, no hitmarkers, and no killfeed, which made the mode hard to actually play in some cases. Thankfully, Activision finally did add Hardcore more at the start of 2023, replacing the Tier 1 mode from before.
What is Hardcore mode?

Read more