Activision are constantly working on ways to stop cheaters from ruining Call of Duty, and one of the tools they use is the shadow-ban. If you think you’ve received this punishment, here’s how you can check your shadow-ban status in Warzone.
Activision’s RICOCHET anti-cheat system is the biggest weapon in the fight against cheaters. From straight bans to frustrating tricks like stopping cheaters from opening their parachute, they have a string of tools at their disposal to keep the hackers at bay.
Issuing a shadow-ban is one of Activision’s most-used options, but the nature of it means that players are often wondering if they’ve been affected. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you figure it out.
What does “shadow-ban” mean in Warzone?
A shadow-ban in Warzone means that Activision and RICOCHET have identified you as a possible cheater, either through their own system or by reports from other players. Your account is then given server, matchmaking, and opponent limits while the team checks your account to see if you are guilty.
Often, this means you will exclusively play with other shadow-banned accounts, so expect to see a lot of cheaters in your matches if this happens to you. You may also find yourself playing against the same opponents constantly, or simply find it impossible to get into a lobby at all.
Warzone shadow-ban check
To check if you’ve been shadow-banned in Warzone, you need to follow these steps:
- Go to the Activision Ban Appeal page.
- Log-in to your Activision account with your username and password.
- Check to see if your account is “Under Review.”
If your account has been placed in review, that means you have been shadow-banned. You won’t be able to appeal the review until it has finished, when the Activision anti-cheat team will determine if you’ve been cheating or not.
I’ve been shadow-banned on Warzone. What do I do now?
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do until Activision make a decision on your account. Just keep checking back on the Ban Appeal page and see if your review has been completed.
How long does Warzone shadow-ban last?
Warzone shadow-bans can last anywhere from a few hours to two weeks. If you’ve been placed under review by accident, and have done nothing wrong, you can usually expect for your account to exit review in a few hours. If this has happened to you, I recommend giving it a day, and when you check back it should be lifted.
For more complex investigations, you could be waiting up to two weeks for an update on your shadow-ban.
Will my Warzone shadow-ban go away?
Yes, if you’ve done nothing wrong, your Warzone shadow-ban will be removed by Activision without you needing to do anything. If Activision has deemed you to be cheating, you’ll need to appeal the ban.
How to appeal a Warzone ban
If you have been permanently banned from Warzone for a violation of Activision’s Security and Enforcement Policy, then you can appeal the decision on the Activision Ban Appeal site. There’s no guarantee that this will lift it, but will at least give you another chance to go through the review process.
