Cheating in games is not a new phenomenon. It can be traced back to the days of 8-bit consoles as well. The development of cheats has progressed in tandem with gaming as well. The more advanced the games, the more evolved will be the cheats and hacks that infect them. The cheats themselves have been considered by many to be a form of appreciation, a way to enjoy the game to a loftier level. But, the innovative and regaling factor dwindles considerably when these cheats start interfering with a game and its players.
Nowadays, multiplayer games are rife with these cheaters, players who employ underhanded and unethical means to exploit the game and snatch victory at any price necessary. The concept of fair play and objectivity is lost on them and they will stop at nothing to win. They spoil and irrevocably damage the experience for all players involved. This simply canât be allowed to stand or continue and that is why so many developers and game publishers are taking steps to counteract and deter cheaters.
These means are called Anti-Cheat systems and they aim to stop the cheaters in their tracks and prevent the attainment of their heinous objectives. Almost all major games of the present era have one or two of such systems integrated into their code.
One of the most prominent names in gaming is Call of Duty and its various installments. The stance of the gameâs publisher, Activision, is widely recognized to be unwavering and unequivocally intolerable towards cheating. The system that they have implemented in their games is called the Ricochet system. The latter is unique and different from its contemporaries in terms of operation. If you are curious and wish to learn more about this system then we have you covered. You will find all the scoop and integral details about this system as follows. So, read on and enlighten yourself:
When it comes to Anti-Cheat measures, the ones implemented by Call of Duty can be perceived as quite novel and innovative. The newest measure introduced by the gaming giant is dubbed Ricochet and it works most curiously and fascinatingly. What the Anti-cheat program does is cloak the players who employ legitimate tactics from the cheaters.
In essence, these legitimate players are rendered invisible so that the cheaters canât see them. The feature itself is called âCloakingâ by the developers and has been touted to be a most effective means of dissuading cheaters from the game.
The Ricochet Anti-Cheat is a measure that can best be described as multi-dimensional, one that targets various facets of cheating within a game. The tool itself is a server-side one and assesses the gameplay meticulously to delineate cheating endeavors effectively. The investigation method employed by this tool is significantly enhanced and has proven to be most effective at locating and eliminating cheaters from the game concerned. The tool has proven to be quite effective at strengthening the security of accounts and has influenced other areas of interest as well.
Ricochet Anti-Cheat program has been the preferred mode of countering cheaters in prominent Activision games like Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Vanguard. Activision has made a point of ramping up their efforts towards bridling and decimation cheats from their games and this anti-cheat system is the latest step towards this goal.
As we mentioned before, this is one ingenious and fresh new approach to the whole anti-cheat aspect of games. The Ricochet tool targets cheaters in a unique manner such that the legitimate players are rendered invisible and undetectable by the cheating ones. This is called âCloakingâ and has proven to be very efficient in its assigned task.
Ricochet employs Kernel-level monitoring and then detects and reports specific applications/programs that try to exploit the game concerned. The Anti-cheat program can then probe and ascertain whether a playerâs PC is using unauthenticated means to customize the game in his favor.
For those of you who donât know, a Kernel-level driver is a code used in a computer that functions with the highest clearance possible. With the latter, the Kernel driver can keep track of all applications and programs that are currently installed on a PC.
It even has uninterrupted access to a computerâs hardware components as well. These include your CPU and Graphics card as well. Games and other software run while using both of these software and hardware components. The Kernel Driver can assess all programs and hardware components to discern the usage of any unwanted or unauthorized applications or software effectively.
A kernel driver is used by Richochet instead of other means because the truth is cheating software has become increasingly sophisticated. The cheaters are employing newer and more advanced means of bypassing the anti-cheat systems. A kernel driver is more adept and effective at examining applications that try to affect or exploit Call of Duty games and their code while they run.
The applications bearing a user mode are more susceptible to constraints and limitations. This makes them more liable to be exploited by undesired and unauthenticated software which in turn can customize, alter, and even manipulate the gameâs code. They are also vulnerable to circumvention of security features. Â
The Features of Ricochet can be listed as follows for your convenience and information:
What it does essentially is to make the cheating players oblivious to the presence and visibility of the legitimate players. These cheaters wonât be able to see the other players once the Cloaking effect is enabled.
But, this effect doesnât extend to only the line of sight or visibility. What makes Ricochet and its Cloaking effect so dastardly and ingeniously remarkable is that it even renders bullets, characters, sounds, etc. from legitimate players undetectable. This means that the cheaters will be left completely at the mercy of the other players who can dispatch them without any predicaments.
The effect doesnât extend to the legitimate players however as Ricochet doesnât extend any courtesy to the cheaters.
The genuine players will be able to see the cheaters and can attack them with uninhibited abandon. The cheaters will certainly be a hilarious sight to behold as they will be running around trying to pinpoint the person who is drilling holes in them. Some might consider it unfair and droll but they started it and now someone will finish it for them.
The developer wanted the legitimate players to be the instrument of austere punishment towards the cheating competition and that is just what Ricochet and its Cloaking technique accord them.
Ricochet is a kernel-level anti-cheat system. This means that the system is afforded the highest level of access to a PC and the files and applications installed on it. The anti-cheat system is a mainstay of all Call of Duty games and their multiplayer mode as well.
Ricochet can detect and isolate specific programs that can play havoc or exploit the gameâs client. Some journalists and gaming sites even speculated that while Cloaking was officially announced later in its lifespan, it or an earlier iteration had always been incumbent in Call of Duty games.
Cloaking isnât the only feature available in Ricochet. It is complemented and augmented considerably by the technique called Damage Shield. The latter was released later on in February 2022. As if Cloaking itself wasnât enough of a penalty, the Damage Shield takes things up a notch.
If Ricochet detects a player using cheats or employing hacks, then the Damage Shield will negate his ability to inflict critical damage on his prey/target. It will also keep collecting information about the cheaterâs infidelity and indiscretion simultaneously.
Also, the team responsible for Ricochet has stated that the studios that manage multiplayer leaderboards have begun removing cheaters in earnest. The actual deletion is executed once a player commits any violation that can be construed as cheating. The anti-cheat system has managed to detect and ban more than 90,000 cheaters while 54,000 accounts have been removed from the servers. This banning and removal of accounts happen frequently and highly daily now.
There arenât any concrete or potentially corroborated means available when it comes to bypassing the Ricochet Anti-Cheat system. That is what makes this system so appealing after all and the Call of Duty games so unforgiving towards cheaters. However, there have been congruent reports by many players about a potential circumvention of the anti-cheat system. It involves restarting the game quickly and twice at least. This has worked in fooling the anti-cheat system per the accounts of many users. However, we wouldnât recommend it as the odds of this bug being ironed out are quite high.
So, there you have it, all that you might need to learn about Ricochet, its systems, its components, and methodology has been elucidated afore for your convenience. There is no doubt that this is one excellent Anti-cheat system and now you know that too. Finally, we bid you a good day and a happy life filled with gaming.
