Activision has issued an emergency backend patch for the PS5 port of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 after hackers targeted players' accounts over the weekend, forcing them into unachievable Prestige levels that caused the game to crash. The move addresses one of several legacy hacking issues that have plagued the barebones Black Ops PS5 ports since launch, despite the games proving hugely popular with players.

Activision said the update improves match security while it reviews accounts showing incorrect Prestige levels, warning that some players may briefly see an account ban notice as the system corrects their data. The company clarified that players who can reconnect after such a notice have been processed successfully, whereas those who cannot reconnect have been flagged for enforcement over evidence of unauthorised Prestige manipulation or other terms-of-service breaches. It remains unclear how long Activision will continue actively policing these recurring exploits, given the ports generate no ongoing revenue.