Activision Cracking Down On Selling Hacked Warzone Accounts

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Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.

Activision is seemingly cracking down on the sale of hacked Call of Duty: Warzone accounts, with many sellers reportedly running out of stock. The 2020 shooter has been plagued with cheaters since launch, whether that be hackers or those who use cheats to win in Warzone. The problem has become a priority for Raven Software, with thousands of accounts being removed in semi-regular banwaves.

Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play shooter that offers a myriad of purchasable add-ons, as well as unlocks earned through beating challenges and events. Some of these events are only available for a limited time, meaning the game is packed with desirable content that isn't readily available. Ranging from cosmetics to weapons, accounts that own rare unlocks are considered highly valuable, and are often a target for hackers who can then sell the hijacked accounts across the internet. Accounts can sell for thousands of dollars, making the market a lucrative one. Activision has tried to take action against Warzone's hacking problem with mixed success.

The black market for hacked Warzone accounts is now seemingly going through a dry spell, with sellers stating that hacked accounts are "out of stock" due to an alleged crackdown from Activision. In a report from VICE, multiple sources state that fewer hacked accounts are now for sale, seemingly due to Warzone's security measures changing. An unnamed games industry source told the publication that a new captcha system is the reason, as it "slows down the automated tools that the hackers use to brute force accounts using public lists of previously hacked passwords." Bigger sellers are also reportedly being caught in the crackdown, considerably slowing down the underground market. While some sellers believe new account stock won't ever be returning, the unnamed source told VICE the selling "won't stop." Activision and Raven Software have not responded to claims of new security measures at the time of writing.

It seems likely that the anonymous source is right about the problem not permanently being resolved, as Warzone accounts are sold through a multitude of platforms from dedicated hacker-centric websites to auction sites like eBay. With so many points of sale, Activision and Raven Software will likely have an uphill battle ahead if they wish to curb the problem entirely even if new measures are in place. Thousands of Warzone cheaters and hackers have now been banned from the game, but its free-to-play nature makes it easy for those banned to set up new accounts in order to continue disrupting the game.

Fans looking to play Call of Duty: Warzone without the use of cheats and hacks are hoping that the next game in the series will be better equipped to handle those who don't play by the rules. Call of Duty: Vanguard is the next paid game in the franchise, and is expected to release this year. Its full reveal will be happening within Warzone later this month, which should give players their first full look at the WW2 shooter. According to one leak, Call of Duty: Vanguard will use a new anti-cheat system in the hopes of stopping cheaters and hackers at launch, though this has yet to be confirmed.

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