The launch of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta was supposed to be a chance for players to test the waters before the game’s full release. Instead, much of the conversation has already shifted toward cheating and whether Activision’s latest tools can actually keep up with the problem.

Reports began surfacing within hours of the beta going live. Clips shared across social media show players suspiciously tracking enemies through walls or landing impossible headshots with ease. It isn’t the first time a Call of Duty beta has faced this issue, but it’s arriving at a particularly delicate moment. Activision has been loudly promoting its revamped RICOCHET Anti-Cheat system, even requiring PC users to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 just to participate. The intention was clear: raise the security wall higher than ever before.

Still, the arms race between developers and cheat makers is relentless. Hardware protections like TPM and Secure Boot make it harder for cheats to load at a system level, but they also lock out players with older hardware or systems not configured for those features. For some, enabling these settings requires BIOS changes or even drive conversions technical hurdles that go far beyond simply downloading a beta. That frustration has already spilled into forums, where some honest players say they feel punished by the same system that’s meant to protect them.

The bigger question is whether the beta can provide a true glimpse of what the final release will look like. If the most talked-about feature ends up being a wallhack-style killstreak and the effectiveness of anti-cheat software, the excitement that usually surrounds a Call of Duty launch risks being overshadowed.

For now, the Black Ops 7 beta is less a showcase of the game’s combat and more a test of Activision’s ability to enforce fairness. Cheating will never vanish entirely, but the community’s patience will hinge on how quickly the company can act and whether the rules of the game itself can avoid looking like exploits.