Overview: A Rapid Response to Cheating in the BO7 Beta
The Call of Duty franchise is leaning on a sharpened anti-cheat system as it tests Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 in beta. Activision says 97% of cheaters were spotted within the first 30 minutes after signing in, a statistic that underscores the intensity and effectiveness of Team Ricochet. The company noted that fewer than 1% of cheating attempts progressed to a match. These numbers are designed to reassure players that even in a highly scrutinized beta, the path from cheat to game is being aggressively blocked.
What Team Ricochet Brings to the Table
Team Ricochet, Activision’s anti-cheat initiative, has been positioned as a layered defense system. The studio highlighted several key elements: strengthened TPM 2.0 checks, automated detection workflows, and a broader set of protections that adapt in real time. The goal is to stop most cheaters before they enter a game and to shrink the window of opportunity for those who slip through.
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
PC players were reminded that enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot is essential to participate in the BO7 beta and launch. This hardware-based gating is part of Ricochet’s strategy to raise the barrier for cheat developers, making it harder for unauthorized tools to operate in the background. Activision suggests that these requirements will continue to evolve as part of ongoing protection enhancements.
Real-Time Action and Community Involvement
Activision emphasized that most cheaters are identified and actioned before public clips surface on social media. The studio described a live, adaptive approach that “learns from every attempt,” with automated systems and human oversight working in concert. In addition to in-game detection, player reports remain an important signal for refining enforcement and expanding coverage. This two-track approach aims to keep the beta clean while gathering data to defend future launches.
Enforcement Beyond the Beta
The company noted that the fight against cheating is broader than one game or one beta. Ricochet is actively targeting cheat developers and resellers, claiming that most major providers have admitted their tools are unusable for Black Ops 7. Activision says it has already closed over 40 cheat-related operations since Black Ops 6 and intends to extend these efforts beyond the beta and into post-launch periods.
What This Means for Players
For players, the message is simple: expect strict enforcement, quick removal of obvious offenders, and ongoing improvements to detection technologies. Activision’s leadership framed this as not only about protecting individual matches but also about preserving the integrity of the entire Call of Duty ecosystem. The beta serves as a proving ground for tools and processes that will be scaled at launch, with transparency and community feedback playing a central role.
Looking Ahead to Launch
As launch approaches, Activision promises that “every layer of protection will be in full force.” Ricochet’s defenses are described as a work in progress, continually updated and refined through beta data, player reports, and industry-wide collaboration. While cheaters exist in every online title, the company asserts that its multi-layered approach will keep the majority of cheaters out of competitive play and minimize disruption to legitimate players.
For players eager to jump into BO7, resources are available detailing how to access the Early Access Beta, how to enable Secure Boot on PC, plus guides on unlockable weapons and Twitch drops. The broader takeaway is a commitment to fair play, rapid detection, and ongoing evolution in the fight against cheating.
