Call of Duty: Warzone and Vanguard are to be protected from cheaters with a new anti-cheat system. We collect all the info.
Call of Duty: Warzone is now bringing out the big guns in the fight against the seemingly tireless cheaters. Before the end of the year, “Ricochet”, the new anti-cheat system, is supposed to finally slam the door in the cheaters’ faces. But for this it relies on a kernel driver – a measure that already caused heated discussions with games like Valorant.
Ricochet’s kernel driver allegedly leaked to cheat maker.
Updated 15 Oct 2021: According to a report from ModernWarzone, Ricochet’s kernel driver may have been leaked to cheat manufacturers. This is what the Call of Duty portal wants to have learned after rumours in various cheater forums started to accumulate. In the meantime, the data on the Ricochet kernel driver is said to have been shared not only in private groups, but also in public cheater forums.
So what does this mean for Warzone’s new anti-cheat? According to ModernWarzone, this could well be a problem, but not necessarily the premature end of Ricochet. After all, the kernel driver is only one part of Activision Blizzard’s new efforts against the cheater problem. Likewise, it is undoubtedly an older version of the kernel driver that is long out of date.
ModernWarzone also theorises that the leak is a Trojan horse. In other words, that a non-authentic version of Ricochet was deliberately leaked in order to mislead cheat manufacturers and work with a false version of the kernel driver. Of course, this cannot be confirmed and is mere speculation at this point.
Whether and how Activision Blizzard will publicly comment on the alleged leak of the Ricochet kernel driver remains to be seen. We will of course update this article as soon as possible as there are new developments on the subject.
We answer the most important questions about Anti-Cheat. When is it coming, what can it do and what exactly does the kernel driver do on your PC?
All info about Call of Duty’s Anti-Cheat
What is Ricochet?
The new anti-cheat system is designed to protect Call of Duty from cheaters in the future by scanning your PC for suspicious programmes and blocking them if necessary. It was announced several months ago and revealed on 13 October 2021.
When will the anti-cheat be released?
The global launch of the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat kernel-level driver on PC is the next stage of our expanding security efforts. Combating unfair play will be a continuous effort, but a battle we are dedicated to fighting.
Full update from TeamRICOCHET: https://t.co/GOgffPHmQR pic.twitter.com/TaFt1KZncD
– Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) December 15, 2021
The system will become part of Warzone at the same time as the update to the new Pacific map There is no concrete release date for this yet, but it should be ready by 2021. Leaks speak of 23 November, but this is unconfirmed so far. Ricochet will also be integrated into Vanguard, but only at a later date.
How exactly does the anti-cheat work?
Ricochet installs a kernel driver on your PC that has wide-ranging access permissions and looks out for cheat programs, so to speak.
What is a kernel driver? Windows is basically built up in several levels, which programmes and drivers can access. The lower the level, the more access rights they have to the system. A kernel driver may access the lowest level 0, but must be programmed to be bombproof, since even the smallest malfunction can cause the entire system to crash. In addition, it is of course also a question of security which driver is allowed to penetrate so deeply into the operating system.
The problem is that many cheat programs also gain far-reaching access to a PC and then have more rights than an anti-cheat, which can only access higher levels. Therefore, such defence systems often rely on kernel drivers.
What about privacy?
Activision Blizzard stresses that privacy is very important and they take any concerns players may have seriously. The kernel driver should only be active while you are playing Warzone. When you quit the game, Ricochet goes to sleep. In addition, the driver should only scan programs on your PC that are connected to Warzone.
Can I uninstall the Anti-Cheat?
Ricochet will be an integral part of Warzone upon release. This means you can’t uninstall it individually. That would make the anti-cheat obsolete. If you want to get rid of Ricochet, you have to throw the whole game off your hard drive. The same will apply to Vanguard later – and if the system proves itself, probably to future CoDs as well.
Will this affect stability?
Ricochet should not demand more from your PC than the current Warzone version already does. According to Activision, many different PC configurations have been tested with the anti-cheat and the stability should not suffer. However, such problems sometimes only become apparent after release, so we will keep you informed in any case.
Are there any other measures against cheaters?
Yes, the system consists of more than just the kernel driver. Machine learning is also supposed to help detect suspicious behaviour – Activision does not reveal details on this. And furthermore, players are supposed to protect themselves by activating two-factor authentication for their account and reporting cheaters in the game.
Will Ricochet also be released on consoles?
No, it is a system that will be added exclusively to the PC version of Warzone. Console players should still benefit from it by preventing cheaters from crossplaying.
Players have hope, but also concerns
There has been a buzz on the Call of Duty forums and reddits ever since the announcements. Fans have been waiting for a long time for effective help against cheaters, who have become an extreme problem, especially in Warzone. Most welcome the anti-cheat, even if kernel drivers are generally viewed rather sceptically. Developer Riot, for example, caused loud criticism with its system for Valorant.
But another concern seems to be much greater in the CoD community right now: Does the anti-cheat work at all? Even Activision is being cautious and emphasises that there is no perfect single solution to the massive problem.
In principle, such a strong defence system is of course an additional hurdle that should not be underestimated, but on the other hand there are numerous cheat sellers who earn a lot of money with their illegal programmes and will certainly continue to try to do so. Cheats continue to develop, some even rely on the use of AI.
What do you think about anti-cheat with kernel drivers?
What is your opinion on the whole issue? Do you think the measure is OK or does anti-cheat interfere too deeply with your system? Tell us what you think!
Of course, we’ll stay tuned for you to see if the situation in Warzone actually improves! You can let us know what you think in the comments: Do you think anti-cheat with kernel drivers goes too far, or do you think it’s acceptable if it deters cheaters?
