Ricochet Anti-Cheat is Activision’s integrated protection for the Call of Duty franchise on PC. It pairs a privileged client component with heavy server-side review, aiming to catch aimbots, wallhacks, and automation that survive initial client checks.

What is Ricochet?

Ricochet is not a single DLL—it is a stack: kernel driver (where deployed), client integrity checks, telemetry, and backend analytics. Updates ship alongside seasonal patches, so cheat status can flip overnight after a signature refresh.

Games using Ricochet

The system covers modern COD releases and modes such as Warzone, MW2-era clients, MW3 content, and newer entries like Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7. Always verify which mode (Battle.net, Steam, console cross-play) you play—policy and enforcement can differ.

How Ricochet works

Kernel-level driver

On supported PC builds, a driver expands visibility into processes, memory, and drivers attempting to tamper with the game.

Server-side behavioral analysis

The server reconciles player actions with physics and timing. Inhuman reaction peaks, impossible tracking through smoke, and stat outliers feed scoring systems.

Machine learning

Activision describes ML-assisted review. In practice this means risk scores can accumulate from subtle patterns—not only obvious binaries.

Shadowban system

Before a full account termination, suspected accounts may enter shadow pools—matchmaking with other flagged players or degraded trust. This soft-ban phase reduces false positives but feels like sudden “bot lobbies” or harsh SBMM swings.

Detection methods (summary)

  • Known cheat signatures and mapped modules
  • Kernel driver blocklists and integrity violations
  • Statistical and replay-like backend checks
  • Mass report correlation (secondary signal)

HWID bans

Severe violations can lock hardware fingerprints, blocking fresh accounts on the same PC. Recovery may require new components or a verified spoofer workflow—never trust random “one-click” tools.

Bypass landscape

Public internals face rapid detection. DMA-style cheating shifts part of the stack off the game machine but introduces firmware cost, behavioral risk, and patch churn. There is no permanent “safe mode”—only managed risk.

For franchise-specific cheat shopping context, see our COD cheats guide.

Hardware banned in COD? Compare options in the spoofer catalog and confirm compatibility with Ricochet-era titles before checkout.