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2023 is off to a janky start for many Call of Duty Warzone 2 players as a game-breaking issue has been plaguing the game. Multiple players state that the issue has been around for many weeks and that it penalizes players for no apparent reason. Reports indicate that players who get 10 kills in Warzone 2 are getting disconnected and eventually shadowbanned from the game. While prominent personalities in the gaming and esports industry like Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag have gotten their shadowbans reversed by the developers of Warzone 2, numerous casual players are forced to wait to get the issue resolved.
The shadowban in question kicks the player as soon as they center their aim on the next player, after they reach 10 kills, and then they get shadowbanned.
Warzone 2 players report shadowbans on social media
Twitter user ModernWarzone tweeted about the shadowbans running rampant in Warzone 2 and replying to this, Warzone creator Isaac “IceManIsaac” Hamilton tweeted a video clip of him getting randomly disconnected from the game after his 10th kill.
Likewise, on 4th January, Nadeshot was shadowbanned when he was playing Warzone 2 with former pro player Josiah “Slacked” Berry. He was kicked out of the match at random and after it ended, he received a notification stating that his account was under review.
The pop-up said he was under review in both Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2. He said, “From my shoes, this is annoying to deal with. But the idea that if you get reported enough that they will review your account before you can play again? I honestly don’t even know if it’s the worst thing in the world. Then that makes me think ‘What is the point of Ricochet, right?’” In the case of Nadeshot’s ban, he was able to have his shadowban reversed quickly.
Notably, Ricochet is the new anti-cheat software that was introduced for Call of Duty multiplayer and Warzone. Ever since its launch players have been claiming that the report-based shadowban function needs a fix.
On 26th December, partnered Call of Duty streamer DougisRaw blamed the public report system for his random ban. He tweeted, “Got un-shadowbanned and then immediately shadowbanned again. Having the public dictate who is a cheater through a simple report system when they get shit on is the dumbest thing I've witnessed.”
Amplifying this issue further, internet personality Jake Lucky wrote on Twitter, “Nadeshot is lucky enough to be in a position where this will be resolved, feel bad for the countless dm's I keep getting from people who don't have a voice to fix their account.”
Twitch partner Dysfunction opined on Twitter that Warzone 2’s ban system is “so easily abused by spam reporting it's nuts,” to which Lucky stated that Nadeshot’s ban also seemed to be triggered by mass reports.
Players can check their shadowban status on the Activision support page. Those who received a shadow ban will have it reviewed by the developers and the status could either be cleared, changed to temporary, or permanent suspension.
