Activision claims cheating in video games has become a global industry worth about £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) annually, driven by account sales, boosting and spoofing services. The Call of Duty publisher says the scale of the market highlights why it is combining anti-cheat technology with legal action to disrupt sellers and deter players.

Its Team Ricochet unit estimates that cheat subscriptions across just 15 games generate roughly £2.6 billion ($3.5 billion) a year. Activision says it has disrupted more than 375 reseller operations, issued over 80 cease-and-desist notices and closed 31 major cheat vendors; it also claims some players spend more than £750 annually on subscriptions and spoofing tools.