Black Ops 7 Beta Plagued by Cheaters: Anti-Cheat Bypassed Day One
Last Updated: November 2, 2025
The highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 open beta went live, but the initial wave of excitement has crashed against a familiar and frustrating reality: the game is already rife with cheaters. Despite developer assurances and new hardware-level security protocols, players almost immediately began reporting lobbies plagued by aimbots and wallhacks, casting a dark shadow over the game’s upcoming November 14th launch.
The gates to the Black Ops 7 beta opened on October 2nd, intended to be the first large-scale showcase of this year's Call of Duty and its fortified defenses against cheating. Leading up to the beta, Activision and Team RICOCHET had heavily promoted a new, multi-faceted security strategy. This included not only enhancements to their kernel-level driver but also new PC requirements like Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 verification, designed to create a more secure hardware environment and make it significantly harder for cheat providers to operate.
RICOCHET's New Armor Put to the Test
The speed and pervasiveness of the cheating raise serious questions about the efficacy of the updated RICOCHET anti-cheat system. While betas always serve as a stress test, this immediate failure is particularly concerning given the pre-launch hype around the new security measures. This onslaught represents the first critical battle between the latest iteration of RICOCHET and the cheat-making community—a battle that, for now, the cheaters appear to be winning.
The circumvention of hardware-based checks like Secure Boot is a significant blow. These systems were touted as a major step forward, meant to validate the integrity of a player's system before the game even launches. Their apparent failure on day one suggests that cheat developers were more than prepared. The effectiveness of Team RICOCHET's response throughout the remainder of the beta will be a crucial indicator of their readiness for the full release. Without swift and decisive action, including aggressive ban waves and transparent communication about security patches, the long-term health of the game could be in jeopardy.
Community Faith Wavers Ahead of Full Launch
Online, the player sentiment is a predictable mix of frustration, disappointment, and weary "I-told-you-so" resignation. Many series veterans, who were cautiously optimistic about the new anti-cheat measures, now fear a repeat of past titles where cheating ran rampant. A game's launch is its most critical period, and a reputation for being compromised by cheaters can cause irreparable damage to player retention and trust.
The stakes are immense for a blockbuster title like Black Ops 7, which marks the return of iconic characters like Mason, with actor Milo Ventimiglia reprising the role. Players are eager to dive into the world and compete on a level playing field, but the current state of the beta undermines that core promise. All eyes are now on Treyarch and Activision, not just for a statement, but for tangible proof that they can control the situation. The fight for the future of Black Ops 7 is no longer a hypothetical—it's happening right now, and the developers are already on the back foot. The community is waiting to see if they can turn the tide before the game officially deploys on November 14th.