Falsely banned.

[yorkinheimer]

Alright i've already tried appealing to no avail. i just want to vocalise my distaste for activision at the moment and maybe some advice for where to go next.

so before this i was lowkey kinda hyped for BO6 (this has been the first time i've been genuinely interested in a COD release in forever, i usually dont care unless its got zombies. thats what i primarily play), had me in a cold war mood again and for the past few days i've been playing some games by myself or occasionally with friends. levelling up my weapons so i could eventually get that sweet dark aether camo. i've done everything at this point from the main easter eggs to upgrading every skill and i poured a LOT of time into zombies (i do not care about multiplayer, PvP isn't my scene)

on sunday night, way past midnight i hopped into a solo outbreak game, wanted to grind some levels for my hauer and given theres not much of a weapon xp fall off i went with that. its a chill gamemode anyhow, i dont mind if it returns but i wouldn't want it as a main serving. lore aside i got to world 3 (i think, could be world 2) and was doing a black chest. all of a sudden midway through my game cuts to black telling me i've been ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ banned from cold war. i check my email and the reason being was for "unauthorized software and manipulation of game data"

i had not touched the game files since i owned the game one year ago and at the time i've had
my browser open (vivaldi, thinking of switching back to librewolf though)
my password manager (keepassxc, which i partially suspect to be a culprit because of its quirky behaviour of hiding itself when its being captured. i was ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ about with my passwords earlier and i forgot to close it)
spotify
task manager (forgot why i had it open)
and notepad (think i just stored my password in it temporarily when i was ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ about with that)

i dont have anything else that should be interacting with the game in any way. i know modern cods are more volatile so i wouldn't have dared to ♥♥♥♥ about like that. so its ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ crazy i've been dropped like this out of nowhere especially when im seeing people complain about actual cheaters all over the platform, its ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ridiculous quite frankly.

i tried pleading my case in my appeal but wasn't left with much of an opportunity. i get why they cant share details so cheat developers dont improve their ♥♥♥♥ but, im genuinely a normal geezer who plays zombies. i've liked the gamemode for years and i have friends who enjoy playing it with me and i wouldn't throw my 16 quid away, my 150+ hours or so of progress and my almost 10 years unscathed steam account away to ♥♥♥♥ about and find out and i wouldn't make a tit of myself and complain this publicly if i was ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ about.

i also find it hilarious how steam FAQ states that:

"The effects of the game ban are determined by the developer, and must be consistent with a VAC ban, such as being prevented from playing online with other players and/or trading items for that game. It cannot prevent the user from launching and playing the game offline. It cannot prevent the user from using Steam."

yet, because of how always online this game is, you cant even play the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ campaign offline when you're banned. or singleplayer zombies. i know its not legal ♥♥♥♥ but its hardly consistent with the FAQ and probably should be looked into.

i really do wish i could never support activision again, i wont be with my own money thats for sure but i've got friends that want to buy me black ops 6. question is. is this ♥♥♥♥ gonna happen again? ill probably be reinstalling windows beforehand but still this whole ordeal, even in the unlikely turn it will have a happier ending (cause i've heard of cases where people randomly get unbanned) i'm never giving this company money again if they're just gonna decide to ♥♥♥♥ me for literally ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ reasons.

[absusoy]

I received a permanent ban for the "Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War" game, which I purchased legally from Steam and played without using any fraudulent software etc., due to "use of unauthorized software and manipulation of game data". I'm sure I'm not doing anything illegal or losing my account to someone else. What remains is the possibility that Steam sold me illegal programs. For this unfair practice, Steam is as guilty as Activision for not standing behind the application it sold to me.

[PHUNK]

played nuketown and suddenly..... black screen. Banned "use of unauthorized software and manipulation of game data" haha what a joke. I also have the Windows 11 24H2 update installed?

[PHUNK]

was planing to buy black ops 6 but now after they make me look like a cheater on my 19 years old steam account i dont think i will .

[Wacheland]

I also have this problem, I have the system updated, the nvidia drivers and everything. I played suddenly and the next day I found that they were doing a VAC, I appealed it and they told me that the software was not authorized. In the case of Spain I try to contact the company but they do not answer the phone, I also sent emails to all available emails and they do not answer. I'll have to go to the consumer... although I don't think it will solve anything, Activision screws everything up, disgusting company. Also, I can't play offline, which I don't understand because, as you've put in the forum, it should be possible to play overnight or alone.

[kripcision]

Originalmente postado por Vladimir:

Funny thing: I also played Black Ops 6 Beta without any problem, didn't get any ban. Was playing on the same OS.

And now I'm pissed off like you. Have no singleplayer campaign (which was the reason I've bought the game), nothing. And then, if I'll ever buy BO6 where's the guarantee that I won't be banned after an hour or so like with the Cold War game? They don't say anything about the real reason I was banned, but how can I fix this on my end if I don't know what to fix? Just mind blowing.

I'm so mad at fact that I can't change or do anything with these false accusations, which not only left me without money and the game I payed for, but also did destroy my reputation here, on Steam.

that sucks, ever since MW2 their new anticheat has been falsely banning people with no explanation on which software causes it, to make it worse they ban you across all call of duties after (and including) MW2019. I assume BO6 beta picked up a software that conflicted in the kernal of your PC (such as another anticheat such as the one for valorant that runs 24/7, i bet they would conflict with each other). honestly i have been avoiding MW2+3 to avoid these false bans.

[Dr.noob]

L'Z THAT'S WHAT YOU GET LYICX

[RogerMooreSucks]

Once a crybaby, always a crybaby. You are not fooling anyone.

[yorkinheimer]

thought i'd update the thread on how its going with black ops 6 (A friend of mine brought it for me on battle.net under a new acti id) and im currently running Windows 11 Enterprise 24H2. not LTSC unfortunately but i do want to return to LTSC soon as its a version of windows im more comfortable with running and not filled to the brim with ♥♥♥♥ i dont need and wont force ♥♥♥♥ itself back in either.

I've not been banned nor shadowbanned. put about 6 or so days of gametime into zombies and put some hard graft into camos again (i think i have about 12 or so gold camos by now). the game can be fun and i've spent so many hours with different friend groups of mine. hit prestige 6 last night too. obviously bit pissed my saves reset because of the latest update and the stealth nerfs to certain things like aether shroud and now the lingering fear that at any moment i could be permed again for no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ reason other than playing the game as god ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ intended, just like i did with cold war.

still theory crafting but i think im almost certain on a very likely culprit. i dabble with emulation right, massive LBP fan right here, grew up with the games n all that. that obviously 9 times out of 10 to practically play anything emulated i'd need a controller. and the only controller i have accessible to me is an offbrand dualshock 3. that also needs third party drivers to function properly (the third party drivers in question: https://github.com/nefarius/DsHidMini. not ♥♥♥♥ talking them, with everything i actually use a controller for its been brilliant). i also have a very dodgy wire for it that ♥♥♥♥♥♥ likes to unplug occasionally but at the time i just had a habit of sometimes leaving it plugged in despite only using it for emulation. my best guess is that without my knowledge the controller was goofing up and the anti cheat probably didn't like detecting that on a driver level so it gave me a finger.

its either that or the previous theory of the early LTSC build but thats my best guess at that point. either way this will just be an unfortunate footnote in my steam history of which will lead me to resent activision as a company even more than i already do. just gotta hope it doesn't happen again in BO6. really looking forward to the smug baiters coming out of the woodworks with this one (and @Tyler & @Dr.noob getting on the wind up grindset <3) like i'd ever make a tit of myself complaining about a ban i deserved.

[Tyler]

hmmmmm