Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is scheduled to launch its inaugural open beta on October 2 for players with early access, before becoming widely available to all on October 5. Cheating has been a persistent challenge within the franchise, evident even in last year`s Black Ops 6. To tackle this ongoing issue, Activision has disclosed the latest enhancements to its anti-cheat protocols, strategically implemented in anticipation of the Black Ops 7 open beta.
According to Activision, the game`s internal detection mechanisms have been significantly improved by subjecting `advanced machine learning systems to millions of hours of gameplay` for training. The publisher is also intensifying its legal actions to thwart and dismantle operations that aim to profit from the sale of cheats outside the game environment.
The primary safeguards deployed against cheaters in the PC version of Black Ops 7 include mandatory Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirements. These measures will operate in conjunction with the newest iteration of the Ricochet anti-cheat software, specifically designed to prevent cheaters from circumventing or deceiving the system. Activision further confirmed its commitment to removing detected cheaters from matches in real-time.
While these updates may not entirely eradicate cheating from the Call of Duty series, a key objective of this beta phase is to thoroughly test these new safeguards under live operational conditions. All knowledge and insights gained during this trial period will be instrumental in further refining these systems, thereby maximizing their effectiveness for the official launch of Black Ops 7.
Activision plans to conclude the open beta on Wednesday, October 8, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. The full version of Black Ops 7 is set to officially debut on November 14, becoming available across multiple platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.