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

The popular Call of Duty cheat provider, Phantom Overlay, has announced its imminent shutdown. A Telegram statement revealed the closure will be immediate, with no explanation given. However, the provider assures customers it's not an exit scam and will remain online for 32 days to ensure those with 30-day keys receive full value. Partial refunds for lifetime keys are also promised. This closure is significant, as many other cheat providers rely on Phantom Overlay's infrastructure, potentially impacting the wider cheating ecosystem.

Reaction on X (formerly Twitter) has been mixed. While some gamers expressed disbelief and speculated on the impact on Season 3 cheat updates, others remain unconvinced, suggesting a rebranding or continued operation under different names.

Activision recently acknowledged shortcomings in its Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 anti-cheat measures, particularly regarding Ranked Play in Season 1, despite initial promises of swift action against cheaters. While admitting the initial anti-cheat efforts "did not hit the mark," Activision assures players that improved Ricochet Anti-Cheat systems are now resulting in routine bans and has already removed over 19,000 accounts. The ongoing issue of cheating, however, continues to damage the competitive multiplayer experience and has led to Activision allowing console Ranked players to disable crossplay with PC players.

The problem is exacerbated by the free-to-play nature of Warzone, released in 2020. Despite significant investment in anti-cheat technology and legal action against cheat makers, skepticism about the Ricochet system's effectiveness persists among fans. In other news, further details regarding the return of the popular Verdansk map in Call of Duty Warzone are expected on March 10th.