Activision estimates cheat market at $8.5 billion and reports new RICOCHET actions

The company also says cheat subscriptions across 15 games generate about £2.6 billion ($3.5 billion) combined, and that some players spend more than £750 ($1,000) a year on cheats and tools.

According to Activision, RICOCHET Anti-Cheat, alongside legal action, has disrupted more than 375 reseller operations, sent out more than 80 cease-and-desist notices and shut down 31 primary cheat vendors.

What happened

Activision has renewed its anti-cheat campaign for Call of Duty with a public message from the official Call of Duty account on August 28, 2026. In that post, the company says RICOCHET Anti-Cheat does not stop after a match and that Activision is targeting cheat sellers directly.

The post also mentions an action during the Closed Beta weekend, in which Activision says it went to Ohio to deal with Elocarry. The tweet does not provide any further explanation of what Elocarry is or what specific action was taken there.

In broader comments, as cited by Eurogamer, Activision estimates the global cheat market at £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) per year. The company ties that figure to revenue from account sales, boosting and spoofing, but the underlying calculation is not detailed in the available source.

Activision also says cheat subscriptions across 15 games generate about £2.6 billion ($3.5 billion) in total. The company further cites its own enforcement figures: more than 375 disrupted reseller operations, over 80 cease-and-desist notices and 31 closed primary cheat vendors.

Background

RICOCHET Anti-Cheat is Activision's anti-cheat system for Call of Duty, and the company presents its approach as a mix of technical detection and legal pressure on cheat sellers. The official August 28, 2026 message emphasizes that the effort is aimed not only at players in-game, but also at the sales channels behind cheats.

The figures and counts mentioned are company claims and are not independently verified in the supplied sources. It also remains unclear how Activision calculated the £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) figure and what the Ohio action against Elocarry involved.

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Sources

• Eurogamer: Activision estimates the cheat market at £6.3 billion ($8.5 billion) per year.
• Official Call of Duty account on X/Twitter: August 28, 2026 post about RICOCHET Anti-Cheat and Elocarry in Ohio.