With the launch of Season 3 this week, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are set to undergo a significant change that has sparked concerns among the PC community regarding potential impacts on their matchmaking queue times.
Activision has released the Season 3 patch notes, confirming a major update to regular Multiplayer. The update separates the settings for Multiplayer Ranked Play and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and introduces a new setting specifically for Multiplayer-only modes such as Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games.
Each of these three settings—Multiplayer Ranked Play, Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and Multiplayer Unranked—will feature the following crossplay options when Season 3 goes live on April 4:
- On: Enables matchmaking with all gaming platforms when playing in the selected playlists.
- On (Consoles Only): Enables matchmaking only with other consoles when playing in selected playlists.
- Off: Restricts matchmaking to your current gaming platform only in selected playlists.
Activision has cautioned that selecting "On (Consoles Only)" could lead to longer matchmaking queue times, and explicitly stated that choosing "Off" will negatively impact queue times.
The introduction of console-only crossplay in regular Multiplayer has raised concerns among some PC players. They fear that allowing console players to opt-out of matchmaking with PC players could result in longer queue times for them. This concern is rooted in Call of Duty's reputation for cheating, which is more prevalent on PC. Activision has acknowledged this issue, noting that unfair deaths attributed to console players are more likely due to an 'intel advantage' rather than cheating. As a result, many console players disable crossplay entirely to avoid encounters with PC cheaters.
Reactions from the PC community have been vocal. Redditor exjr_ expressed understanding but also frustration, hoping the change won't adversely affect queue times to the point of needing to purchase the game on a console. Similarly, @GKeepnclassy on X / Twitter lamented the impact on non-cheating PC players, labeling the change as detrimental. @CBBMack highlighted the existing difficulty in filling lobbies on PC due to skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), anticipating further issues with the new settings.
Some PC players argue that Activision should focus on improving its anti-cheat measures rather than isolating PC players. Redditor MailConsistent1344 suggested that better anti-cheat solutions could prevent console players from disabling crossplay. Activision has indeed invested heavily in combating cheating, with notable successes against cheat providers like Phantom Overlay and several others, as reported by IGN. The company has promised enhanced anti-cheat technology with the launch of Season 3, which could potentially alleviate some of the PC community's concerns, especially with the return of Verdansk to Warzone.
However, it's worth noting that the majority of Call of Duty's casual console player base may not even engage with these new settings. Many players do not delve into patch notes or adjust settings, preferring to jump straight into unranked Multiplayer for casual enjoyment. As Call of Duty YouTuber TheXclusiveAce pointed out, the vast majority of players will continue to play with crossplay enabled by default, either due to unawareness or indifference to the new options.
TheXclusiveAce addressed PC player concerns, emphasizing that the largest pool of players will remain available for PC matchmaking since most console players won't change the default settings. He noted that the real impact will be felt by those who opt for console-only crossplay, a choice now available to them for the first time in public matches.
As Season 3 approaches for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, it will be crucial to monitor how these changes affect the player experience, especially in the context of Activision's ongoing efforts to combat cheating.
