Ricochet is cracking down: Call of Duty's anti-cheat system is taking action against the paid third-party tool "Warzone Agent." Ricochet has been blocking the software from loading since November 8th, requiring players to unload it before they can even access the multiplayer menu.
The timing is no coincidence. This action started alongside the launch of the Modern Warfare 4 version of Warzone and the first post-launch season of the new installment. The announcement came via the official Call of Duty account on X.
What does Warzone Agent actually do?
The tool is used for what's known as lobby shopping. This means checking in advance how skilled opponents are in one's lobby, allowing players to pick easier matches. According to Eurogamer, the PC app has also been used by streamers and content creators in the past to get into simpler lobbies. This has little to do with the fair matchmaking that Activision actually promises.
Ricochet apparently treats the tool like unauthorized software: loading is blocked, and anyone who has the program open receives a prompt to unload it. Only then is the multiplayer accessible.
Are users of Warzone Agent now facing a ban?
A ban was explicitly not announced. Activision merely states that accounts and hardware "subject to enforcement" may be subject to measures. The company leaves open what these specific measures are. Anyone using the tool should therefore get rid of it immediately and not wait to see how far Ricochet goes.
At the same time, Ricochet reaffirmed its stance against boosting. Lobby shopping apparently falls into the same category for the team: choosing opponents instead of being assigned them distorts matchmaking for everyone else.
Why Ricochet is striking now
This is our assessment, not a confirmed statement from Activision: A new Warzone launch is the ideal moment for such an action. Player numbers are high, lobbies are freshly mixed, and the community is particularly attentive to whether the launch is fair. Setting a precedent now, before tools become entrenched in the new season, saves more extensive cleanup operations later. How effective the block ultimately is can only be judged after a few weeks, as providers of such tools typically respond with updates.
It will also be interesting to see if Ricochet extends this approach to other programs that read lobby information. There has been no statement on this so far. For honest players, the message is clear: the developers are taking matchmaking protection seriously at the start of the new season. Those who want to try Warzone on new platforms can find our report on the surprising Warzone release for Nintendo Switch 2, and those who want to try the mode can read how long the MW4 DMZ mode is still free to play.
This official video on wallhacks and server culling in Modern Warfare 4 also shows how Ricochet has dealt with cheats in the past:
Source: Eurogamer (Announcement on X, according to Eurogamer: Call of Duty on X)
Do you use tools like lobby checkers for easier matches, or do you consider that cheating?
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