The Black Ops 7 beta launched with huge expectations, particularly around its upgraded Ricochet Anti-Cheat system. Developers emphasized stronger protections, requiring TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot for PC players to even access the beta, measures meant to establish a secure, verified environment.
Yet within hours of launch, social media was flooded with viral clips showing blatant cheating such as wall hacks, aimbots, and impossible tracking through walls. For many fans, it was a frustrating reminder of how persistent the problem remains, even under the watch of supposedly advanced anti-cheat tools.\
Cheaters dominate day one despite new safeguards
Early footage of Black Ops 7 Beta highlighted the most obvious and disruptive forms of cheating. One viral clip showed a player disabling all UI elements before snapping instantly to enemies behind walls. Another kill cam captured an opponent turning a corner and locking onto a target that wasn’t even visible yet. In several other clips, players could be seen tracing movements through walls, textbook wall-hack behavior.
These weren’t subtle attempts to hide unfair advantages. They were blatant displays of exploitation that spread across platforms like YouTube, X, and Reddit within just a few hours of the beta going live. For a franchise that has long battled cheating issues, it was a disappointing though not entirely unexpected start.
Ricochet’s swift response and lingering questions
To its credit, Ricochet acted quickly. The official Call of Duty social accounts began responding directly to viral clips, confirming that several accounts shown in cheating videos had already been banned. This suggested that enforcement was happening in near real-time.
However, the response raised questions. Were those accounts banned automatically by the system’s detection algorithms, or were they manually flagged after going viral? If it’s the latter, it indicates a reactive system rather than proactive detection. If the former, players are left wondering how these cheats slipped through during the opening hours at all.
Ricochet had previously explained that its detection tools would be dynamically adjusted during the beta, and that its machine learning models were trained on millions of gameplay hours to identify cheats faster. Still, the chaotic launch raised doubts about how effectively those tools performed in practice.
Performance metrics and the reality in matches
As the Black Ops 7 beta progressed, Ricochet and Activision released performance data showing promising results:
- 97% of detected cheaters were banned within 30 minutes
- Less than 1% of cheating attempts entered active matches
- Cheaters who slipped through were removed within minutes once discovered
- By the end of the beta, 99% of matches were reportedly cheater-free
These are strong numbers and do show progress. But they are based on detected cheaters, meaning undetected ones might not be included. Moreover, players saw undeniable evidence of cheats in action before bans were issued. The timing and automation of bans remain unclear, which keeps the community skeptical.
Why the problem persists: a technological arms race
Ricochet’s approach this time revolves around three core principles:
- Hardware-based verification via TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
- Machine learning models trained on extensive gameplay data
- Layered detection combining multiple scanning methods
These strategies are meant to create a dynamic system that evolves as cheats do. However, cheat developers continuously adapt, finding loopholes or building hardware-level exploits to bypass detection. Some researchers have even demonstrated hypervisor-level cheats that can completely evade typical anti-cheat scans.
In short, it’s not just about detecting cheaters, it’s about detecting them before they can ruin matches. Speed and automation are key to maintaining fairness in real-time multiplayer environments.
What’s next for Ricochet and player trust
With the Black Ops 7 beta now wrapped up and the full release approaching, several big questions remain:
- Can future cheaters be blocked before entering a match?
- Will Ricochet offer more transparency and data for the community?
- How will the system adapt to brand-new cheat methods?
- Can false positives be minimized to avoid punishing legitimate players?
- Will the same enforcement intensity continue after launch hype fades?
The first day of chaos hasn’t completely undermined Ricochet’s credibility, but it has shown how fragile trust is in the Call Of Duty community. If Ricochet can prevent cheating before matches start, rather than reacting after the fact, it could finally change the narrative heading into launch.
FAQs Black Ops 7 Beta and Ricochet Anti-Cheat
1. What is Ricochet Anti-Cheat in Black Ops 7?
Ricochet is Call of Duty’s multi-layered anti-cheat system combining detection algorithms, machine learning, and hardware checks to prevent unfair play.
2. Why does the beta require TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot?
These hardware security features ensure the player’s system is trusted and make it harder for certain cheats to run at a low level.
3. How effective was Ricochet during the beta?
According to Activision, 99% of matches were cheater-free by the end of the beta, with most cheaters banned within 30 minutes of detection.
4. Can Ricochet catch all cheats?
No anti-cheat is perfect. Some cheats may remain undetected, especially new or advanced ones that exploit system-level vulnerabilities.
5. What’s next for Ricochet before launch?
Developers plan to refine machine learning models, expand proactive detection, and strengthen transparency around bans and performance data.
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