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

With the launch of Season 3 this week, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are set to undergo significant changes that have sparked concerns within the PC gaming community, particularly regarding matchmaking queue times.

Activision has released the Season 3 patch notes, confirming a major update to the regular Multiplayer mode. The update will separate settings for Multiplayer Ranked Play and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and introduce a new Multiplayer-only setting for Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games matches.

Starting April 4, when Season 3 goes live, players will have three distinct crossplay options for these settings:

• On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms when playing in the selected playlists.
• On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles when playing in selected playlists.
• Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in selected playlists.

Activision has cautioned that choosing On (Consoles Only) may lead to longer matchmaking queue times, while selecting Off will almost certainly result in extended wait times.

The introduction of a console-only crossplay option in regular Multiplayer has raised concerns among PC players. The worry stems from the potential for console players to opt-out of matchmaking with PC players, which could lead to longer queue times for the PC community. This concern is fueled by the prevalence of cheating in Call of Duty, which is more common on PC platforms. Activision has acknowledged this issue, noting that unfair deaths attributed to console players are more likely due to 'intel advantage' rather than cheats.

Reactions from the PC community have been vocal and critical. For instance, redditor exjr_ expressed understanding but concern over the impact on queue times, while @GKeepnclassy on X (formerly Twitter) lamented the negative impact on non-cheating PC players. Similarly, @CBBMack highlighted existing issues with matchmaking due to skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) and predicted further deterioration with these changes.

Some PC players have suggested that Activision should focus on improving its anti-cheat measures rather than isolating PC players. MailConsistent1344 on Reddit argued for better anti-cheat solutions to prevent console players from turning off crossplay.

Activision has been actively combating cheating in Call of Duty, investing millions to shut down cheat providers, with recent successes like the closure of Phantom Overlay and other high-profile cheat sellers. With the launch of Season 3, Activision has promised enhanced anti-cheat technology, which will be crucial as the game sees an influx of players with the return of Verdansk to Warzone.

However, many in the community, including Call of Duty YouTuber TheXclusiveAce, point out that the majority of console players, who are casual gamers, may not even notice these new settings. Most players simply jump into unranked Multiplayer for casual fun and are unlikely to delve into patch notes or settings adjustments. Therefore, the default crossplay settings will likely remain unchanged for most console players, meaning PC players will still have a large pool of players to match with.

TheXclusiveAce emphasized that the concern over matchmaking times might be overblown since the majority of players won't alter the default settings. He noted that while players opting for console-only crossplay may limit their matchmaking pool, it's a choice they can now make, and many might find it a worthwhile trade-off.

As Season 3 approaches for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, the community will be watching closely to see if these changes significantly impact matchmaking and whether Activision's ongoing efforts against cheating will alleviate some of the PC community's concerns.