The beta of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is now over, and the developers are currently preparing everything for the big launch on October 28th. In this context, the team from Ricochet, CoD’s in-house anti-cheat, has also spoken out and explained what progress they have made and how the beta has helped them.
For developers, a beta always means a lot of stress, as the work of the last months or even years is being made accessible to the public for the first time. In addition, there is an enormous amount of data to analyze and subsequently numerous bugs to fix. Such a beta is also extremely helpful for the developers of anti-cheat programs. They can identify initial weaknesses in the game code and also learn what methods and ways cheaters and hackers use for their attacks.
The team behind Ricochet shared its experiences regarding the beta of Modern Warfare 2 in a statement and revealed how they want to prepare for the launch and the time afterwards.
Check out the trailer for the campaign of CoD Modern Warfare 2 here:
Better protection through kernel-level drivers and SMS authentication
Kernel-level drivers: The most important tool in the fight against cheaters is the so-called kernel-level drivers. These ensure that developers can detect malware and hacks on the respective PCs where they run and not just when they negatively impact the game. The clear advantage here is speed: The makers of Ricochet have worked closely with the various studios that develop Call of Duty. Additionally, communication between server and client has been improved on many levels. Right at the start of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0, measures like cloaking, damage shields or disarming are set to be active to ensure the integrity of the game.
Regular updates – The team from Ricochet aims to keep the defensive measures of Call of Duty up to date with regular updates to the kernel-level driver. This technology is designed to ensure that new hacks or exploits are quickly detected. The faster this occurs, the quicker the security team can respond. In the eternal cat-and-mouse game, they aim to stay one step ahead of the providers of cheating software.
SMS authentication – Just like in Overwatch, it will be necessary to verify your account with an SMS-capable mobile number. Thanks to two-factor authentication, account security is to be enhanced. This measure is also intended to prevent cheaters from simply creating new accounts and harassing legitimate players in Warzone.
More on cheating in Call of Duty and Warzone:
The results of the beta test are promising
Although not all features of the Ricochet anti-cheat were active during the beta of MW2, the developers gained many insights. They were able to exclude many illegitimate players before the actual tests. During the tests, additional accounts were banned, which were proven to use cheats:
- In the lead-up to the beta, over 60,000 illegitimate accounts were banned and therefore could not participate in the tests
- During the beta, an additional 20,000 accounts were suspended
- An analysis of the data has revealed that 72% of all cheaters were already detected and banned before they completed a single match
- If cheaters made it into a match, they were detected and subsequently banned on average after 5 games
The team from Ricochet is therefore confident they are prepared for the launch of Modern Warfare 2. Furthermore, they promise to continue optimizing the systems. They also aim to prevent players from being unjustly excluded from the game. In conclusion, they thank the community, who help keep Call of Duty a fair game through countless reports of suspicious gameplay.
Dr Disrespect can hardly wait for the release of Modern Warfare 2 – but one thing annoys him
