Thousands of player accounts have been banned from accessing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The owners of the accounts have been given no answer as to why, causing many to become frustrated. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been battling cheating and hackers since its launch, but the anti-cheat software may have gone too far this time.
Players are banding together on social media platforms across the internet. Subcommunities on Reddit, Twitter, Discord, and many other familiar platforms are filled with players sharing their stories, sorting through false information, and trying to get their accounts back.
It did not take long for the Activision support form to be filled with players all banned without explanation. The lack of response has caused many fans to organize with a petition that has over 12,000 signatures, and this number continues to rise as more and more players log in to find their accounts under a permanent ban. Players are not stopping at just petitions and boycotts this time, as many are also filing official complaints with the FTC and BBB. Fans hope to spread the word of these bans through word of mouth and the help of some larger YouTubers.
Fans are calling the bans an act of robbery with some accounts reportedly less than a few days old. Activision's current rules state that any account banned is not eligible for a refund, which has put many fans in an uncomfortable position with Activision after spending hundreds of dollars of CoD points and hours of dedication to in-game skins. With bans ranging from toxic gameplay to actual hacking, players are left robbed of all their efforts with a world of possibilities as to why.
One fan in the Discord community says that the bans are a result of the anti-cheat system detecting background programs. Programs like Cheat Engine, GTA 5 modding software, emulators, and any other .dll injector could be detected by the anti-cheat system and assumed to be a method of exploiting the game. As the anti-cheat system is automated, there is no way of knowing whether these programs are the cause or not.
The biggest problem fa's have is not the bans themselves but the lack of any way to contest Activision's decision. In previous statements, Activision Support has stated that "temporary and permanent suspensions from all game modes are final and are not subject to review." This gives Activision and Infinity Ward the power to ban anyone, and never have to explain the reason behind the ban.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.