"Call of Duty Bans 135,000 Accounts, Fans Remain Skeptical"

Call of Duty is currently navigating challenging times, and it's not just the declining player numbers (as observed on SteamDB) that are causing concern. As the second season of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 approaches, the developers have been vocal about their ongoing battle against cheaters. Since the ranked mode was introduced in November 2024, over 136,000 accounts have been suspended, and the team is committed to enhancing its anti-cheat systems.

In addition to combating cheating, the developers have promised improvements to server configurations, aiming for a better connection quality in the future. However, these assurances are met with skepticism. The situation is dire enough that prominent content creators are publicly questioning the developers' claims, and Reddit is brimming with posts from players who report no tangible improvements in server quality or matchmaking.

The Call of Duty community is experiencing significant fatigue, with terms like SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) and EOMM (Engagement Optimized Matchmaking) becoming sources of frustration. This crisis of trust is palpable, leaving it uncertain how, or even if, Activision will be able to restore confidence among its player base.