Once again, Activision has stepped in with legal action, leading multiple cheat providers to close down after receiving cease-and-desist orders.
Two of the biggest names in the cheating scene, Two2nd and Tomware, have shut down their operations, giving the franchise another win in the fight against cheaters.
However, while this move has been widely praised, it also brings up some questions about how effective legal takedowns really are in the long run.
The shutdowns were first hinted at on social media, where pro players and content creators began sharing screenshots of the announcements. According to a message from Tomware's Discord server (posted by @Swishem on X), all Call of Duty cheats have been permanently stopped and will not be reintroduced.
The message also came with a stern warning that anyone talking about the cease and desist order would be subject to disciplinary measures, including potential server bans. Tomware's website is still active and has cheats for different games.
On the other hand, Two2nd just straight-up wiped its website. Visitors to the site were met with nothing but a blank screen stamped with "Permanently Closed." The provider had, at one point, offered cheats for not only Call of Duty but also for Elden Ring, Fortnite, Helldivers 2, and Starfield. However, Activision's legal pressure was enough to push it into a complete shutdown.
This continues the pattern of Activision pursuing aggressive legal actions. The company had previously filed a lawsuit and secured a $14 million victory over EngineOwning, another prominent cheat developer.
Even with these wins, fans are still worried that legal takedowns are just a short-term fix. These actions might disrupt cheating for a while, but they don't completely solve the problem. The biggest problem is how cheats are spread through decentralized networks. Many cheat suppliers work within hidden networks, using anonymous hosting and encrypted communications to stay one step ahead of legal action.
Even if one provider is shut down, their software usually gets passed around by other resellers. Some have argued that Two2nd and Tomware were just small pieces of a much larger network, so taking them down only deals with a tiny fraction of the problem.
Activision has been stepping up its game with cheater bans, but RICOCHET's still had its share of issues. When the system went down before, it gave cheaters a chance to run wild. There have been some improvements, but the system still can't keep up with cheat software that keeps changing. It's a win for fair play with Two2nd and Tomware closing, but history shows new providers will swoop in to take their place soon.
For now, Call of Duty players have more of a fair playing field, but the war on cheaters isn't over.