Whether they really have been or not, we've all suspected an opponent in a multiplayer game to be cheating at one point or another. Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Rocket League, Marvel Rivals, Call of Duty, they all have the occasional spoil sport ruining everyone else's fair game, but a recent study pointed to Activision's shooter franchise taking the lead when it comes to cheaters.
The study, which came from Surfshark, pointed out that Call of Duty averaged 66 monthly cheating-related searches per 1000 players. These searches were linked with more cheaters being created, thus making the claim that Call of Duty has a larger portion of cheaters.
This, as called out by Activision, didn't completely add up. "Cheating is an industry-wide issue, and a challenge we take on around the clock. But this study isn't about cheating, it's about searching, and doesn't include any real cheating data or input from the games it references," an Activision spokesperson said in a statement (via Insider Gaming).
"Protecting player experience requires accurate data, sustained enforcement, and players continuing to report suspicious behaviour. Sensational headlines don't fix the issue. Consistent action does. We're committed to that," the statement continues.
As a leading franchise with millions of players, the pool of potential cheaters with Call of Duty is probably bigger than a lot of games. However, cheating in multiplayer titles is a problem the entire industry is tackling, rather than just one franchise or game.