Prolific Call of Duty Cheat Developer Insists It's Shutting Down — but Players Are Skeptical

The popular Call of Duty cheat provider, Phantom Overlay, has announced its imminent shutdown. In a Telegram statement, the provider declined to specify the reason for the immediate closure, stating that it's not an exit scam and that no external pressure influenced the decision. They committed to keeping the service online for an additional 32 days to ensure users with 30-day keys receive their full value and to provide partial refunds for lifetime keys.

This closure could significantly impact the cheating ecosystem, as many other cheat providers rely on Phantom Overlay's systems. Reaction on X (formerly Twitter) has been mixed. Some gamers expressed disbelief and speculated about the impact on Season 3 cheat updates, while others suggested a rebranding or the continued operation under different names.

Activision recently acknowledged that its Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 anti-cheat measures fell short at the Season 1 launch, particularly impacting Ranked Play, despite initial promises of swift action against cheaters. While admitting shortcomings, Activision highlighted increased ban rates due to improvements in its Ricochet Anti-Cheat systems and the recent removal of over 19,000 accounts.

The persistent problem of cheating in competitive multiplayer has drawn significant criticism, leading Activision to allow console Ranked players to disable crossplay with PC players in Season 2. While cheating is prevalent across many games, it's become a major issue for Activision since the launch of the free-to-play Warzone in 2020. Despite substantial investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat makers, skepticism about the effectiveness of Ricochet persists among fans.

In other news, further details regarding the return of the popular Verdansk map in Call of Duty Warzone are expected on March 10th.