Call of Duty: Warzone has banned over half a million players since last year’s launch, says developer

Players have been removed in waves due to ‘malicious’ behaviour

More than half a million Call of Duty: Warzone players have been banned for cheating since the game’s launch in 2020.

The figure was revealed by developer Raven Software after a recent wave of bans saw access to the game permanently suspended for 30,000 players.

Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play instalment in the popular first-person shooter franchise which incorporates battle royale-style multiplayer modes.

On Twitter, Raven Software wrote: “Banned over 30,000 malicious accounts across Call of Duty yesterday... bringing us to over half a million accounts banned in #Warzone.

“Malicious” behaviour can include the use of cheats or hacks, which are forbidden under the current Warzone rules.

Raven Software and Call of Duty publisher Activision began implementing waves of permanent bans in Warzone last April, shortly after the game’s launch.

Reports have suggested that a new Call of Duty game, set during World War II and subtitled Vanguard, is set to be released later this year.

Activision typically release one new entry in the franchise each year, with last year’s release being Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War.