Warzone fans are no longer worried about high-skilled players taking over their match, as Activision has reportedly removed the “2-box” exploit.
Some Warzone players had started using the “2-boxing” method to bypass skill-based matchmaking. To do so, a player needed two accounts, with the second being a low-level account with bad stats used to join lower-skilled lobbies.
To do this, the higher-skilled player would join the lower account, search for matches, and then the low-level account would leave upon successfully joining a lobby.
CharlieIntel reported that it is no longer possible to join a Warzone game pre-match lobby or match in session after the Season 1 Reloaded update. As a result, players will no longer be able to circumvent SBMM as easily to find lower-skill lobbies.
Activision may have quietly patched the ability to do the “2-box" method for easier lobbies in Warzone. It is now reportedly not possible to join a Warzone game pre-lobby match or a match in session with the Season 01 Reloaded update last week. pic.twitter.com/PypI5UHoVy
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) December 9, 2024
This comes after Activision previously implemented measures to prevent the use of a VPN to go up against less-skilled players ahead of Season 1.
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A VPN allows you to mask your IP address and play Warzone in a different location and time zone. The leading theory has suggested that using the device makes it possible to bypass skill-based matchmaking and connect to quieter servers.
In response, Activision enhanced its AFK detection system to battle against account boosting and adjusted ping thresholds to require players to play in their own region. It’s unclear how strict these ping thresholds are, but those trying to bypass SBMM now have fewer options when trying to find an easier lobby.
Originally, enhancing AFK detection was supposed to crack down on this method, but the lower-skilled account could just leave before the match started, so it didn’t adequately address the issue. However, removing the ability to join a pre-match lobby should get rid of “2-boxing” for good.
Cheating continues to be an issue across Call of Duty. In November, Activision released an update to address the rampant cheating problem in Black Ops 6 Ranked Play, but players labeled the change “propaganda” as the issue remains.
