The popular Call of Duty cheat provider, Phantom Overlay, has announced its imminent shutdown. In a Telegram statement, the provider refused to disclose the reason for the immediate closure, stating it is not an exit scam and that no external force pressured the decision. They pledged to keep all services online for an additional 32 days to ensure those with 30-day keys receive their full value, and will offer partial refunds for lifetime keys.
This closure has significant implications for the wider cheating community, as many other cheat providers rely on Phantom Overlay's infrastructure.
Reaction on X (formerly Twitter) has been mixed. While some gamers expressed disbelief and speculated on the impact on Season 3 cheat updates (via Dexerto), others remain unconvinced, suggesting a rebranding or the continued operation under different names.
AnswerSee ResultsActivision recently acknowledged that its Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 anti-cheat measures fell short at the Season 1 launch, particularly impacting Ranked Play, despite earlier promises of one-hour bans for cheaters. However, they assured players that increased Ricochet Anti-Cheat system activity has resulted in routine bans, in addition to the over 19,000 accounts recently removed.
The persistent presence of cheaters is widely considered detrimental to competitive multiplayer, leading to criticism of Activision's response. The situation escalated to the point where console Ranked players were allowed to disable crossplay with PC players in Season 2.
While cheating is prevalent across many games, it's become a significant issue for Activision since the 2020 release of the free-to-play Warzone. Despite substantial investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat developers (with several recent successes), player skepticism towards the Ricochet system remains.
Separately, further details regarding the return of the popular Call of Duty Warzone Verdansk map are expected on March 10th.
