RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is our proprietary anti-cheat initiative, a multi-layered system designed to help protect the integrity of play across the Call of Duty franchise. Through server-side tools that detect and disrupt cheating behavior and a kernel-level driver on PC, RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is built to maintain fair play for all players.
New RICOCHET Anti-Cheat security features launched on Day One of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
HOW IT WORKS
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat uses both client and server-based systems to identify and address unfair play in real time. The PC kernel-level driver, developed internally for Call of Duty, helps detect unauthorized programs that interact with protected titles. These detections, combined with ongoing updates and analysis, allow the team to investigate and respond to cheating activity quickly and effectively.
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat systems are continuously updated to improve detection accuracy and maintain fair competition across supported titles.
BEST-IN-CLASS SECURITY
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat expanded its security capabilities with the launch of Modern Warfare 4, with new technology, including DMA detections and Server Culling, which combats wallhacks.
We also updated our anti-cheat systems with stronger hardware banning technology that builds on our hardware-based protections like Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) and Secure Boot integration. Those features, which are also required to play Call of Duty: Warzone, help verify the integrity of player hardware before a game session begins. Together with existing protections and mitigations, these updates further strengthen the foundation of fair play within Call of Duty.
Learn more about enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot in our support article. If you need help with these settings, our Secure Attestation Wizard can help guide you through the process.
PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY
The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat kernel-level driver operates only when a protected Call of Duty title is running. It turns on when you launch MW4, Black Ops 7, or Call of Duty: Warzone and turns off when you close the game. The driver only monitors software that interacts with Call of Duty titles. Console players also benefit from these efforts through cross-play protections and shared backend systems.
COMBATING UNFAIR PLAY
#TeamRICOCHET's mission is to support fair play for every player. The team investigates, detects, and removes confirmed cheaters on a regular basis. RICOCHET Anti-Cheat continues to evolve as new methods of cheating emerge to ensure that competitive integrity remains a core part of the Call of Duty experience.
NEW PROTECTIONS AND DEFENSES
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat continues to evolve as cheat developers develop new ways to gain an unfair advantage. New protections in MW4 address these technologies and limit the information available to cheaters.
DMA DETECTION
DMA, or Direct Memory Access, allows external hardware to read a computer’s memory. Cheaters can use this technology to access game information they should never have, including information about opponents and their locations.
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat uses new detections to identify DMA cheats and take action against accounts using them. These systems continue to evolve as cheat developers change their methods.
SERVER CULLING
Server Culling helps protect against wallhacks by limiting the game information sent to a player’s device. The server determines what information is relevant to each player and withholds information that should remain hidden.
A wallhack cannot reveal information the game never sends. Server Culling works alongside other RICOCHET Anti-Cheat protections to help create a fairer experience for all players, and like all of our systems, it’s continuously updated over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS RICOCHET ANTI-CHEAT?
RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is a system of tools and processes built to detect, deter, and remove cheaters from the Call of Duty ecosystem. It includes analytics, client-side detection, and kernel-level monitoring to help identify unauthorized software across Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Warzone, and additional titles in the franchise.
HOW DOES THE PC KERNEL-LEVEL DRIVER WORK?
The RICOCHET Anti-Cheat PC kernel-level driver monitors software that interacts with protected Call of Duty titles. It identifies suspicious activity and reports it to the RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team for review and potential action.