In shooters, many players resort to illegal means on consoles. Call of Duty is now intensifying the fight against pesky cheaters.
What kind of players are they? Players who want an unfair advantage on consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S often resort to so-called spoofers. These are devices like the Cronus Zen or the XIM Matrix that manipulate the input signal from controllers, thereby providing players unauthorized assistance in various games.
With these “tools,” it is for example possible:
- to reduce the recoil of a weapon,
- to set up macros,
- to enhance the aim assist of a game
- to automatically fire semi-automatic weapons at maximum fire rate at the press of a button
Furthermore, these devices allow for universal controller usage on different consoles. For instance, players can use an Xbox controller on the PlayStation – or use mouse and keyboard in games that do not even support mouse and keyboard. Alternatively, players can get aim assist from controllers while using mouse and keyboard on the console because the device trick the console into believing a controller is being used.
This is the new measure from Call of Duty: In a new blog post, the developers explained that they are introducing new detection features to identify prohibited devices as well as accounts using them.
These detection measures target input devices that “simulate mechanically perfect accuracy and recoil control and thus provide advantages that no human player can achieve naturally.”
The team analyzes the timing, consistency, and reaction patterns of inputs “to distinguish natural human gameplay from mechanically modified inputs.” They want to identify recoil control, aim behavior, and input accuracy that goes beyond what is physically possible with a standard controller or mouse.
Often, users of these tools remain undetected because they are designed to be as difficult to spot as possible. Call of Duty is now focusing on changing that and being able to better identify certain input patterns. However, the developers emphasize that this remains an ongoing process.
Those caught using such a tool can expect to face penalties.
Is this really cheating? Yes. The use of so-called spoofers is prohibited in many competitive games, including Rainbow Six: Siege, Valorant, and also Call of Duty. The CoD developers made this clear again in the latest blog post:
“To be clear: These devices are not allowed in Call of Duty. They are cheating tools, even if they disguise themselves as accessibility aids.”
Nevertheless, many players on consoles resort to these devices to gain an unfair advantage and increase their chances of victory. However, this reflects in their wallets. A Cronus Zen or XIM Matrix costs around €130 from the respective manufacturer, not including special controllers with shoulder buttons, or attachments like the controversial Strike-Pack by Cronus.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone, the second season also starts this week, bringing new maps for multiplayer, Warzone, and the zombie mode. You can find the most important information about the upcoming update here: CoD Black Ops 7 & Warzone: Season 2 starts in 2 days – All important information at a glance
