Ricochet Anti-Cheat Triggers Mid-February Ban Wave Targeting Input Devices

Activision’s Team RICOCHET announced a Season 02 detection suite aimed at unapproved third‑party input modification devices, and community reports tied renewed enforcement to a mid‑February ban wave across Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone. Team RICOCHET’s Feb. 2 post promised “stronger security for Ranked Play,” and a Feb. 20 patch summary republished around Feb. 24–25 labeled Ricochet Anti‑Cheat “the core” of that update.

Team RICOCHET described the Season 02 approach as behavior‑based rather than device enumeration. “Our Season 02 detections focus on how inputs behave, not which device is plugged in,” the Feb. 2 message reads, adding that the system analyzes “input timing, consistency, and response patterns to distinguish natural human play from machine‑modified input.” The post specifies detection targets such as recoil control, aim behavior, and “input precision that exceed what is physically possible through a standard controller or mouse,” and notes the scope covers both console and PC.

Community outlets point to enforcement rolling through mid‑February. The Feb. 20 update overview warned that “Ricochet Anti‑Cheat system detects cheaters using third‑party input devices. If you attempt to tamper with game content using these devices, your account may be penalized.” Iggm and other community commentators framed player reports of warnings and suspensions as a ban wave, and advised that “if you are using cheat software, you might initially see warnings, and if you continue, your account may be banned.” No official numeric totals or precise ban dates were provided in the materials available.

The move builds on earlier anti‑cheat steps in Black Ops 7. Team RICOCHET framed Season 02 as adding another layer to systems “that are already delivering strong results across Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone,” while community commentary notes that a previously introduced cloud‑based anti‑cheat had mixed effectiveness after its extension to Warzone ranked matches. That tension between the developer’s claim of progress and player skepticism appears across forums and patch republications.

Players should also note season timing and live events called out in community reporting: the Escalation Directive event was scheduled to end on February 26, and Iggm projects Season 02 Reloaded will land about 4–5 weeks after the season release, between March 5 and March 12. Community posts also warned that, until the related patch lands, attempting to use Season 2 exotic weapons may block challenge progress for the third week.

What remains unclear from the current notices are exact ban counts, any appeals process, and whether specific third‑party device brands will be named. Team RICOCHET frames the goal plainly: “Season 02 is almost here, and our top priority is clear: launching Ranked Play with the strongest protections possible, so matches are decided by player skill, not exploits,” and adds that “These Season 02 updates are focused on making sure your first match - and every match after - is played on equal footing.”