Activision Alerts Call of Duty Players: Anti-Cheat Tech Will Ban Aim Assist, Ranked Play Will Face Delays

Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Activision issued a warning to Call of Duty players, stating that its anti-cheat technology, Ricochet, will now automatically close the game if it detects aim assist being used with a mouse and keyboard.

The warning, delivered via X (previously known as Twitter), specified the Call of Duty application would shut down on the PC if aim assist was detected.

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"Repeated use of these tools may lead to further account action," the Call of Duty account added.

Aim assist is a contentious issue in competitive shooter games, designed to aid console players in maintaining accuracy on target. It is not intended for use by mouse and keyboard players.

According to IGN, some players have utilized unauthorized third-party hardware and software, such as XIM and Cronus Zen, to benefit from aim assist while using a mouse and keyboard.

Activision's announcement is believed to target reWASD, a popular gamepad mapper software that reassigns keyboard, mouse and controller inputs, creating a virtual controller to enable aim assist.

This warning coincided with the upcoming Season 1 Reloaded update for Warzone and Modern Warfare 3.

Activision also informed Call of Duty players that the eagerly anticipated Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play will not be immediately available after the Season 1 Reloaded update on Jan. 17.

The announcement, made via the official Call of Duty Updates X account, stated the Ranked Play team would perform checks before enabling the mode for all players.

Modern Warfare 3's Ranked Play allows players to ascend through ranks and skill divisions in four-versus-four competitive play, adhering to the Call of Duty League's ruleset.

It becomes available at Level 55, with all gameplay items unlocked. Certain weapons, Killstreaks, Equipment and content are restricted to match CDL competitive rules and Friendly Fire is enabled.

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The ranking system involves advancing through eight Skill Divisions and Tiers by earning Skill Rating (SR), with penalties for inactivity, disconnections and repeated friendly fire.

#MW3RankedPlay

Launch Preparations: Heads up competitors, MWIII Ranked Play will not be available immediately after players receive the S1 Reloaded update.

The Ranked Play team will be performing checks before enabling the mode for all players. Stay tuned for more updates.

— Call of Duty Updates (@CODUpdates) January 16, 2024

Photo: Skrypnykov Dmytro on Shutterstock.