PC Players 'Penalized' by Console-Only Crossplay in Call of Duty

With the launch of Season 3 this week, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are set to undergo a significant transformation that has stirred some concerns within the PC gaming community, particularly about potential impacts on matchmaking queue times.

Activision has released the Season 3 patch notes, confirming a major overhaul to the regular Multiplayer settings. The update will separate the settings for Multiplayer Ranked Play and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, introducing a new Multiplayer-only setting specifically for Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games matches.

Starting April 4, when Season 3 goes live, players will have three distinct settings to choose from for these game modes: Multiplayer Ranked Play, Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and Multiplayer Unranked. Each setting will offer the following crossplay options:

• On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms when playing in the selected playlists.
• On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles when playing in selected playlists.
• Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in selected playlists.

Activision has explicitly warned that selecting "On (Consoles Only)" may result in longer matchmaking queue times, and choosing "Off" will definitely impact queue times negatively.

The introduction of console-only crossplay in regular Multiplayer has sparked concern among some PC players. They fear that console players opting out of crossplay with PC could lead to longer queue times for them. This concern is rooted in Call of Duty's well-known issue with cheating, which is more prevalent on PC. Activision has acknowledged this, noting that unfair deaths by console players are more likely due to an 'intel advantage' rather than cheating. As a result, many console players disable crossplay to avoid potential encounters with PC cheaters.

Reactions from the PC community have been vocal and varied. Redditor exjr_ expressed understanding but also frustration, hoping the change won't force them to switch to a console for a better gaming experience. X / Twitter user @GKeepnclassy called the change detrimental to PC players, arguing that non-cheating PC players are being unfairly penalized. @CBBMack noted that their PC lobbies already struggle to fill due to skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) and predicted further deterioration with these changes.

Some PC players, like redditor MailConsistent1344, have suggested that Activision should focus on enhancing its anti-cheat measures rather than isolating PC players. Activision has indeed been investing heavily in combating cheating, with recent successes in shutting down prominent cheat providers like Phantom Overlay. The company has promised improved anti-cheat technology with the launch of Season 3, which could potentially alleviate some of these concerns, especially with the anticipated return of Verdansk to Warzone.

However, the mainstream, casual console audience might remain largely unaffected by these changes. Many players do not delve into patch notes or settings and typically play unranked Multiplayer without adjusting crossplay options. This point was highlighted by Call of Duty YouTuber TheXclusiveAce, who reassured PC players that they will still matchmake with the largest player pool, as most console players will either not notice the new settings or choose to keep them on by default. He noted that the players opting for console-only crossplay are the ones limiting their matchmaking pool, a choice that some may willingly make.

As Season 3 approaches for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, it will be fascinating to see if these adjustments have a significant impact, especially as Activision's battle against cheaters continues.