Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's beta was an absolute blast. The beta featured some of the more enjoyable game modes, with both familiar and new modes available to try out. The beta also featured cross-play between PC and consoles. However, nobody expected that cheaters would plague the beta, ruining the experience for many.
Although both PC and console players love the concept of cross-play, cheaters are most prevalent on the PC. The console ecosystem is almost free of hackers, resulting in a fair and enjoyable experience for all players. On the PC, however, cheaters and hackers are a nuisance. This is especially true for games like Call of Duty.
As console players started noticing the presence of cheaters in the Black Ops Cold War beta, many chose to disable the crossplay feature. This should tell Treyarch that they will need to focus on implementing an effective anti-cheat system first before focusing on cross-play features.
What's more surprising to see is that despite being a beta, which has been out for only a few days, cheaters still managed to breach in.
Instead of enjoying the limited beta period, players were seen sharing clips on Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube expressing their frustration regarding the issue. Console players even said that they would rather wait in console lobbies instead of dealing with hackers. Players also said they immediately disabled crossplay as soon as they encountered a cheater in the game.
It's high time that Activision takes serious action in improving its anti-cheat systems. The publisher's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone have been plagued with cheaters since the game's launch as well, and it looks like the situation isn't improving with Black Ops Cold War.
Despite all of this, the beta itself was a fun experience. Although the gameplay doesn't feel drastically different, a few minor changes here and there have significantly improved the overall experience.
