Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 finally allows you to disable cross-play with PC

The wait is over! Console players will be able to escape cheaters and choose who to play with

Fans of Call of Duty have been asking for this functionality for years, and now, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 finally brings a solution that can transform the online experience. Starting on April 2, 2025, Activision will allow players on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S to disable cross-play with PC, avoiding the dreaded encounter with cheaters.

The news comes alongside Season 03, which also brings important adjustments to Warzone and traditional multiplayer. The main change? More control over who you play with!

Goodbye, cheaters? How will the new cross-play work

Until now, console players were forced to compete against PC users, an environment where hacks and cheats are notoriously more common. With the new setting, it will be possible to choose:

Cross-play enabled: Allows matchmaking with all platforms (PC, PlayStation, and Xbox).

Cross-play enabled (consoles only): Restricts matchmaking to PlayStation and Xbox players, excluding PC (may increase waiting time to find matches).

Cross-play disabled: Allows matches only with players from the same platform (PS5 with PS5, Xbox Series with Xbox Series, etc.), but will significantly impact matchmaking time.

"In Season 03, we are giving console players more detailed options by separating ranked game settings from multiplayer and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play", announced Activision.
"Additionally, we added a new unique setting for non-ranked multiplayer matches, including Quick Match, Highlights, and Group Games modes."

What if I'm playing with friends?

Activision also detailed the impact of the new system for mixed groups. Some important rules:

If all players are from the same console platform, the game will follow the group leader's configuration.

If a mixed group is formed by players from different consoles (PS and Xbox), the configuration will be temporarily adjusted to "Cross-Play Enabled (Consoles Only)", allowing matchmaking only between PlayStation and Xbox.

If there is a PC player in the group, cross-play will be automatically enabled, and everyone will need to play together.

When leaving the group, the original settings will be restored.

A necessary and long-awaited change

The war against cheaters in Call of Duty has been long and frustrating. Despite Activision's efforts with anti-cheat systems like Ricochet, many console players still feel at a disadvantage against PC users using wallhacks, aimbots, and exploits.

This change puts control back in the hands of console players, who will be able to choose whether or not to face the unfair battle against cheats.

The update arrives on April 2, 2025 for all platforms where the game is available: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass.

Now, it remains to be seen if this change will impact matchmaking time and if Activision will finally be able to balance the competitive scene of Call of Duty.