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Call of Duty cheat-maker issues groveling apology after Activision takedown
Activision has publicised a groveling public apology from a developer behind the Call of Duty cheat tools Zenith and Devware, following legal action taken as part of its ongoing crackdown on cheat makers. The apology, likely issued under legal pressure to avoid further consequences, is part of a broader campaign by Activision's RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team, which recently showed lawyers serving court papers to cheat developers at their homes, signalling a shift towards using legal action alongside technical detection to deter cheating.
In the statement, the developer admitted to helping create and sell cheats that harmed honest players, said Activision had caught them, and confirmed all their cheat services had been permanently shut down, vowing never to develop or distribute cheats again. Activision said it is targeting the people and businesses behind cheat sales to disrupt operations and profits, and separately noted that data gathered during the Modern Warfare 4 beta helped it refine detection systems, including fixing an unintended interaction between detection tools. Modern Warfare 4 is due to launch on 23 October.
In short
- Cheat-maker behind Zenith and Devware issues forced public apology
- Activision uses legal action, including home court-paper deliveries, against cheat devs
- MW4 beta data helped Activision refine its RICOCHET anti-cheat detection
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Activision can argue that commercial cheats undermine fair competition and players’ trust, so technical detection alone may not be enough to stop people who profit from selling them. Legal action against developers and businesses could disrupt those operations and deter others, while protecting honest players and the integrity of the game.
The case against
Critics can argue that pursuing individual developers through the courts, especially with publicised visits to their homes, risks using a company’s resources and legal power in ways that intimidate people beyond what is needed to protect players. They may also question how much weight to give an apology made under legal pressure, and favour proportionate enforcement focused on demonstrable harm and clear legal standards.
Explained simply
Call of Duty is a series of online action games in which players compete in teams and individually. Cheats are unauthorised tools that can give users an unfair advantage, making matches less fair for other players.
Activision makes and publishes Call of Duty, and its RICOCHET team works to detect and prevent cheating. Zenith and Devware were cheat services sold by a developer who helped create them; Activision has also pursued legal action against people and businesses involved in making or selling cheats.
Cheating can affect players’ experience and confidence in online matches. Activision’s campaign combines technical detection with legal action aimed at disrupting the businesses behind cheat services.
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