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

Call of Duty cheat provider, Phantom Overlay, has announced its imminent shutdown. A Telegram statement revealed the closure will be immediate, with the provider declining to specify reasons. They clarified this is not an exit scam and pledged to keep services online for an additional 32 days to ensure users with 30-day keys receive full value. Partial refunds for lifetime keys were also promised. This closure is significant as many other cheat providers rely on Phantom Overlay's systems, potentially impacting the wider cheating ecosystem.

The news sparked mixed reactions online. Some gamers expressed excitement, speculating about the impact on Season 3 cheat updates. Others remained skeptical, suggesting a rebranding or continued operation under different names.

Activision acknowledged shortcomings in its Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 anti-cheat measures for Season 1, particularly in Ranked Play, despite earlier promises of swift action against cheaters. They assured players of ongoing bans thanks to improved Ricochet Anti-Cheat systems, citing over 19,000 recently removed accounts. The persistent cheating problem, however, continues to draw criticism, impacting competitive multiplayer. In response, Activision temporarily allowed console Ranked players to disable crossplay with PC players.

While cheating affects many games, it's become a major issue for Activision since the 2020 release of the free-to-play Warzone. Despite significant investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat makers, player skepticism regarding Ricochet's effectiveness persists.

Separately, further details about the return of the popular Verdansk map in Call of Duty Warzone are expected on March 10th.