Infinity Ward's Ban Hammer Swings at AFK Plunderers: Fair Play or Foul?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Activision's handing out bans for AFKing in *Warzone's* Plunder mode, sparking debate about whether it's a justified crackdown or overkill for a supposedly casual game mode. Seems like the hammer is falling faster than a care package these days!
Right, so it seems Activision's had enough of players treating *Call of Duty: Warzone's* Plunder mode like a digital siesta. According to Game Rant, (cheers to Aaron McKinley for spotting this!), folks are getting the ban hammer for 'Plunder boosting' – which, in plain English, means going AFK (Away From Keyboard) to soak up XP while doing, well, bugger all.
Now, I reckon most of us can agree that outright cheating's a no-go. No one wants to get fragged by a wall-hacker with aimbot sharper than a tack. But AFKing in Plunder? It's a bit more…grey, innit? Plunder's supposed to be the chill mode, the place you go to unwind after a particularly brutal ranked session. Is it really hurting anyone if someone jumps in, hides in a bush, and lets the XP trickle in while they're making a cuppa?
Activision seems to think so. They've reportedly banned over 228,000 accounts since *Black Ops 6's* launch back in October '24 (fair dinkum, that's a lot of bans!). And while getting rid of genuine cheaters is always a good thing, some streamers, like LastChanceFPS, are pointing out that treating AFKers the same as hackers feels a *tad* excessive. It's like using a nuclear warhead to swat a fly, wouldn't you say?
It's a tricky one, this. On the one hand, AFKing can be annoying for other players, especially if you're trying to actually, you know, *play* the game. On the other hand, it's Plunder! The stakes are lower than a limbo champion. Is a permaban – effectively a digital death sentence for your account – really proportionate?
And let's be honest, the grind in *Call of Duty* can be a right pain. Players are always looking for ways to level up their weapons and unlock all the fancy cosmetic gubbins. Plunder's been a go-to method for many. So, is Activision cracking down on a genuine problem, or just making life even more tedious for the average player?
This whole situation reminds me of that time I tried to brew a simple invisibility potion and accidentally turned the entire village invisible. Good intentions, messy results. Activision's trying to clean up the game, but are they accidentally banishing players who just want a slightly easier ride? Only time will tell if they adjust their approach. In the meantime, maybe think twice before going for a sneaky AFK session in Plunder. Unless you fancy a 67-year ban, like that poor sod earlier this year. (That's practically a permaban, by the way!).
Tags: Call of Duty, Warzone, Activision, Bans, Plunder
Original article: Game Rant