Phantom Overlay, a prominent provider of cheats for Call of Duty, has announced its immediate closure. In a statement shared on Telegram, the provider assured users that this was not an "exit scam" and promised to keep their services active and secure for an additional 32 days. This extension aims to allow users with 30-day keys to fully utilize their purchase, while those with lifetime keys will receive partial refunds. The closure of Phantom Overlay is noteworthy because many other cheat providers depend on its systems, potentially affecting the broader cheating ecosystem within the game.
Reactions to the news varied across social media platforms. One gamer on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressed disbelief and optimism about the impact on the upcoming Season 3 cheat update, stating, "I can't believe it!! Does this mean the Season 3 cheat update is really gonna work?!" However, skepticism prevailed among others, with one user suggesting that Phantom Overlay might simply be rebranding and continuing operations under a different name, commenting, "They're just rebranding. They have the same provider under multiple names/brands. The cheaters won't stop."
AnswerSee ResultsActivision recently acknowledged that its anti-cheat measures for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 fell short at the launch of Season 1, especially in Ranked Play. Despite their initial promise to remove cheaters within an hour of their first match, the system did not meet expectations. However, Activision has since improved its response, with the Ricochet Anti-Cheat system now banning cheaters more effectively, resulting in over 19,000 account bans.
The ongoing issue of cheating has been a significant concern for the competitive multiplayer community, leading to criticism of Activision's efforts. The situation escalated to the point where, with the release of Season 2, console players in Ranked Play were given the option to disable crossplay with PC players, a move aimed at reducing encounters with cheaters.
While cheating is a widespread issue across many games, it has been particularly challenging for Activision since the launch of the free-to-play battle royale, Warzone, in 2020. Despite substantial investments in anti-cheat technology and legal actions against cheat developers, which have seen some success, the community remains skeptical about the effectiveness of the Ricochet system.
In other news, anticipation is building as more details about the return of the beloved Call of Duty Warzone map, Verdansk, are expected to be revealed on March 10.
