"New Console-Only Crossplay Penalizes Non-Cheating PC Players in Call of Duty Multiplayer"

With the launch of Season 3 this week, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are set to undergo a significant change that has sparked concerns among the PC gaming community about potential impacts on their matchmaking queue times.

Activision released the Season 3 patch notes, confirming a major adjustment to regular Multiplayer. The update separates settings for Multiplayer Ranked Play and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, introducing a new Multiplayer-only setting for Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games matches.

Starting April 4, with the rollout of Season 3, players will have the following crossplay options for each of the three settings—Multiplayer Ranked Play, Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and Multiplayer Unranked:

• On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms when playing in the selected playlists.
• On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles when playing in selected playlists.
• Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in selected playlists.

Activision has explicitly warned that selecting On (Consoles Only) might lead to longer matchmaking queue times, while choosing Off will definitely result in longer wait times.

The introduction of console-only crossplay in regular Multiplayer is what's causing unease among Call of Duty PC players. They're concerned that allowing console players to opt out of playing with PC players could result in longer queue times for them. This worry is rooted in the game's history of cheating issues, which are more prevalent on PC. Activision has acknowledged this, stating that unfair deaths attributed to console players are more likely due to 'intel advantage' than cheating.

Some PC players, such as redditor exjr_, expressed frustration yet understanding about the change, hoping it wouldn't adversely affect their queue times long-term. Others, like X / Twitter user @GKeepnclassy, criticized the move as penalizing non-cheating PC players. Meanwhile, @CBBMack noted the existing challenges with filling lobbies on PC due to skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), suggesting this change could exacerbate the issue.

Many PC players argue that Activision should focus on enhancing its anti-cheat system rather than segregating players. Redditor MailConsistent1344, for example, suggested that improving anti-cheat measures would be a better solution than isolating PC players.

Activision has invested heavily in combating cheating, with notable successes such as the recent shutdown of Phantom Overlay and four other cheat providers ahead of Verdansk's return to Warzone. Despite these efforts, the battle against cheating remains challenging. With Season 3, Activision promises enhanced anti-cheat technology, which will be crucial as Warzone anticipates an influx of players with Verdansk's return.

However, it's worth noting that the majority of Call of Duty's casual console audience might not even be aware of these new settings. Most players typically don't delve into patch notes or spend much time adjusting settings; they simply jump into unranked Multiplayer for some fun. As a result, many may continue playing with crossplay on by default, unaware of the new console-only option or its purpose.

This perspective was echoed by Call of Duty YouTuber TheXclusiveAce, who addressed PC player concerns on social media. He pointed out that the majority of players might not even notice the new setting, and those who do might opt to keep crossplay enabled. TheXclusiveAce emphasized that it's the players choosing to enable console-only crossplay who will face a smaller matchmaking pool, a choice now available to them for the first time in public matches.

As Season 3 approaches for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, it will be fascinating to observe how these changes affect the gaming experience and whether they help in Activision's ongoing fight against cheating.