Call of Duty cheat service Phantom Overlay has announced plans to cease operations.
In a Telegram statement, the company refused to disclose reasons for its immediate shutdown, clarifying: "This isn't an exit scam—no external force could pressure me to defraud customers. All services will remain operational and secure for an additional 32 days."
The extended 32-day window ensures users with 30-day subscriptions receive full value, while lifetime subscribers will obtain partial refunds.
Notably, Phantom Overlay's infrastructure supports numerous cheat providers, meaning its abrupt closure may significantly disrupt the cheating market.
"Unbelievable!" exclaimed one player on X (formerly Twitter, via Dexerto). "Does this confirm Season 3's anti-cheat update actually works?!"
Skeptical users countered, with one arguing: "This is just rebranding. Multiple services operate under different names—the cheating won't disappear."
Activision recently acknowledged shortcomings in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Season 1 anti-cheat measures, particularly for Ranked Play, despite promising one-hour bans for first-match offenders.
The company now reports improved banning efficiency through enhanced Ricochet Anti-Cheat systems, having terminated over 19,000 accounts.
Widespread cheating continues damaging competitive integrity, prompting Activision's controversial Season 2 decision allowing console players to disable PC crossplay.
While cheating plagues multiple games, Activision's challenges intensified following 2020's free-to-play Warzone launch. Despite multi-million-dollar anti-cheat investments and successful lawsuits against cheat developers, players remain doubtful about Ricochet's effectiveness.
Separately, sources indicate Activision will reveal details about Call of Duty: Warzone's highly anticipated Verdansk map return on March 10.
