Call of Duty's anti-cheat and network issues are inexcusable now that Microsoft owns it.

Did Microsoft Activision buy Blizzard to advance and improve the quality of games? Or just to top up your bank account? That’s a question that needs to be answered because many players are simply fed up with the state of Call of Duty right now.

Some of its biggest content creators are starting to shy away from playing Black Ops 6 and Warzone because it’s becoming unplayable. The two biggest culprits are the useless anti-cheat and poor networking. Taken together, these online multiplayer games, especially in ranked matches, make for a terrible experience.

Nadeshot is one of the most recognizable names in Call of Duty. A multiple champion at the highest level, the owner of the 100 Thieves organization also has a Call of Duty League franchise and is a content creator himself. In the clip below (via SpawnUp), he explains why, even though he likes Black Ops 6 as a game, he’s taking a step back.

Nadeshot announces that he is retiring from Call of Duty: “…I can’t play it, I can’t enjoy it – there’s no integrity, someone’s always cheating, the network sucks, or the game is broken.” .” 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/WdbcjJeoYzDecember 17, 2024

Before anyone else says it: Yes, Nadeshot is in a privileged position and he is lucky that he can resign without it affecting his ability to pay his bills. Smaller content creators may not be able to afford this luxury if their entire base is Call of Duty.

But his words are not his only: he speaks for the broader community. There has been a lot of talk about the anti-cheat and TeamRICOCHET, the developers, have admitted that they missed the mark. But at least for the rest of the first season, it looks like we’re where we are.

However, the networks and servers are particularly inexcusable. Even before Activision became part of Microsoft, it wasn’t a small startup struggling for funding and infrastructure. But now it’s part of one of the largest server companies in the world? Not good enough.

I’ve seen cheaters myself, especially in ranked games, even at the lower levels. It’s annoying. But even worse is the fact that I upload my game to play Black Ops 6 on a Saturday, my day off, and I can’t get a match below 107 ping. It’s not always that bad, but you want to keep it as low as possible, and most of the time it’s just not that bad. I’m lucky enough to have a really strong internet connection, but that doesn’t help when the in-game networking just isn’t up to par.

Call of Duty operators are parachuting into the new Area 99 map on Warzone.

It’s unlikely that player numbers will ever drop to the point of concern, but Microsoft needs to step in and get the problem under control. (Image credit: Activision)

Microsoft currently has the resources to fix Call of Duty’s biggest problems. The company makes Windows, the system on which most cheats are deployed. It also has an incredible array of servers and infrastructure, as well as the know-how to make it all work.

Someone high up has to step in when Activision leadership can’t do it alone. From the player’s perspective, it looks like the priority is bringing new skins to the store, rather than fixing fundamental issues that impact the gaming experience.

It’s unlikely that a game this big would ever lose enough players to cause concern in boardrooms, but Microsoft should listen to its most vocal and well-known players. You have a voice that advocates for everyone, and Microsoft needs to listen.

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Call of Duty’s anti-cheat and network issues are inexcusable now that Microsoft owns it.

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