"New Console-Only Crossplay Option Penalizes Non-Cheating PC Players in Call of Duty Multiplayer"

With the launch of Season 3 this week, *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6* and *Warzone* are set to undergo a significant update that has sparked concerns among some PC players about potential impacts on their matchmaking queue times. Activision's Season 3 patch notes detail a major shift in regular Multiplayer settings, separating Multiplayer Ranked Play and *Call of Duty: Warzone* Ranked Play, and introducing a new Multiplayer-only setting for Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games matches.

Starting April 4, players will have three distinct settings for these game modes, each with specific crossplay options:

• On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms in the selected playlists.
• On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles in the selected playlists. Activision has cautioned that this setting may negatively impact matchmaking queue times.
• Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in the selected playlists, which Activision has confirmed will negatively affect queue times.

The introduction of console-only crossplay in regular Multiplayer has raised alarms among the *Call of Duty* PC community. The concern stems from the possibility that console players opting out of crossplay with PC could lead to longer queue times for PC players. This fear is rooted in the game's history with cheating, which is more prevalent on PC. Activision has acknowledged the issue, noting that unfair deaths attributed to console players are more likely due to 'intel advantage' rather than outright cheating.

Some console players preemptively disable crossplay to avoid PC cheaters, a move that PC players like redditor exjr_ understand but lament. "As a PC player…. hate this change but I get it," exjr_ said, expressing hope that the change won't drastically affect queue times in the long run. On social media, @GKeepnclassy and @CBBMack echoed these sentiments, with the latter suggesting that the new settings might push them towards playing on consoles instead.

PC players have voiced frustration, suggesting that Activision should focus on improving its anti-cheat measures rather than isolating PC players. "Maybe they should fix their anti-cheat instead of isolating PC players," commented redditor MailConsistent1344. Activision's ongoing battle against cheating has seen significant investments and several high-profile victories, including the recent shutdown of cheat provider Phantom Overlay and four others ahead of the much-anticipated return of Verdansk to *Warzone*. Despite these efforts, the challenge remains formidable, with promises of enhanced anti-cheat technology in Season 3.

However, many believe that the majority of console players, particularly the casual audience, may not even utilize these new settings due to a lack of awareness. Most players dive into unranked Multiplayer for casual fun without delving into patch notes or settings adjustments. As noted by *Call of Duty* YouTuber TheXclusiveAce, the majority of players will likely remain unaware of these options or the reasons behind them, sticking to the default settings or leaving crossplay enabled.

"I see a lot of pushback with this change from PC players concerned that they won't be able to find games in lesser played modes or that matchmaking will take too long," TheXclusiveAce stated. "To be clear, PC players will still be matchmaking with the largest pool of the playerbase since the majority of players won't even notice this setting exists so they'll stick to the default or even if they are aware of it, many will choose to leave it on. If anything, it's the players that decide to turn console-only crossplay on that will be limiting their matchmaking pool but that's a choice that's now in their hands for the first time in Pubs and it's a tradeoff that many of us will be happy to make."

As Season 3 approaches for *Black Ops 6* and *Warzone*, it will be fascinating to observe whether these changes affect the gaming experience and how Activision's ongoing efforts to combat cheating evolve.