Prolific Call of Duty Cheat Developer Insists It's Shutting Down — but Players Are Skeptical

Call of Duty cheat provider, Phantom Overlay, has announced its imminent shutdown. A Telegram statement confirmed the closure, stating that it's not an exit scam and will remain online for 32 days to ensure customers with 30-day keys receive full value. Partial refunds for lifetime keys are also promised. This closure could significantly impact the cheating ecosystem, as many other providers rely on Phantom Overlay's systems.

The news sparked mixed reactions online. While some gamers expressed excitement, speculating about the impact on future cheat updates, others remained skeptical, suggesting a rebranding is likely.

Activision recently acknowledged shortcomings in its Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 anti-cheat efforts, particularly regarding Ranked Play in Season 1, despite earlier promises of swift action against cheaters. While acknowledging past failures, Activision highlighted increased ban rates due to Ricochet Anti-Cheat improvements and the recent removal of over 19,000 accounts. The persistent cheating problem has led to criticism and prompted Activision to allow console Ranked players to disable crossplay with PC players in Season 2.

The prevalence of cheating in Call of Duty, especially since the release of Warzone in 2020, remains a significant concern. Despite substantial investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat makers, skepticism surrounding the Ricochet system persists among players.

Further, more information on the return of the popular Verdansk map in Call of Duty Warzone is expected on March 10th.