Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Beta Faces Cheating Issues Ahead of Full Launch

The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta is now underway, giving players a chance to experience the game before its November 14 release. However, reports of cheating emerged almost immediately, with clips surfacing online showing aimbots and wall hacks active within hours of the beta’s launch. Despite requiring TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on PC to improve security, these protections have not fully prevented cheaters from infiltrating matches.

Treyarch confirmed that some of the accounts using cheats were banned manually during the test, but the developer also acknowledged that the upgraded version of Ricochet Anti-Cheat has not yet been fully implemented in the beta. Instead, the most advanced systems will be introduced when the game officially launches. This gap has left the current test vulnerable to older cheat software, frustrating players who expected stronger safeguards after Activision emphasized stricter requirements for access.

#TeamRICOCHET addressed the issue with an update, explaining that the beta phase is being used to deploy and monitor new detection tools under live conditions. “We’re striking cheat makers and sellers from every angle: in-game detections that stop them cold, and legal action that dismantles their operations,” the team stated. They confirmed that cheaters banned during the beta will face permanent bans across all Call of Duty titles, not just Black Ops 7.

The new anti-cheat framework is designed to use layered defenses, combining TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot with advanced machine learning systems trained on millions of hours of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 gameplay. These systems are expected to detect suspicious behavior with greater accuracy, distinguishing between natural player movement and the unnatural precision of cheats. Activision has promised improvements that will address both software and external hardware cheats, setting what it calls a new standard for security in the series.

One of the most significant upcoming changes is the introduction of remote verification, or Remote Attestation, which will validate system integrity through Microsoft Azure servers. This method is described as more secure than local verification, making it much harder for cheats to spoof TPM and Secure Boot requirements. When combined with Ricochet’s expanded detection tools, the system is expected to close many of the loopholes currently being exploited in the beta.

The cheating problem is not unique to Call of Duty. Battlefield 6, the franchise’s primary competitor this year, faced similar challenges during its open beta, with EA’s anti-cheat system reportedly removing over 300,000 accounts. The recurring pattern across shooters highlights the ongoing arms race between developers and cheat creators. While Activision has taken legal action against cheat providers and continues to refine Ricochet, the cycle of detection and circumvention remains an unavoidable challenge for major FPS releases.

For console players, Activision has also reiterated that disabling crossplay will remain an option to reduce exposure to PC-based cheats. The publisher noted earlier this year that the majority of cheating activity originates from PC users, giving console players a measure of protection if they choose to play within their platform’s ecosystem.

The beta, which opened early access on October 2 before expanding to all players on October 5, will continue to serve as a testing ground for these evolving anti-cheat measures. Team RICOCHET confirmed it is actively monitoring live matches, analyzing reports, and adjusting systems to gather data across thousands of hardware setups. According to Activision, every detection and removal during the test feeds into stronger protections at launch.

With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 officially releasing on November 14, the full anti-cheat system is expected to activate at that time. The publisher is framing this as the beginning of a new era of cheat prevention, one that integrates advanced verification, real-time learning, and layered defenses. Whether this will finally give Call of Duty players a more stable and fair experience remains to be seen, but for now, the beta has once again underlined how persistent and disruptive cheating continues to be in the franchise.