With the launch of Season 3 this week, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are set to undergo significant changes that have sparked concern among the PC community, particularly regarding matchmaking queue times. Activision has released the Season 3 patch notes, confirming a major overhaul to regular Multiplayer. The update separates Multiplayer Ranked Play and Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play settings, introducing a new Multiplayer-only setting for Quickplay, Featured, and Party Games matches.

Starting April 4, each of these three settings—Multiplayer Ranked Play, Call of Duty: Warzone Ranked Play, and Multiplayer Unranked—will offer the following crossplay options:

• 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 explicitly warned that selecting "On (Consoles Only)" may negatively impact matchmaking queue times, while choosing "Off" will definitely result in longer waits. The introduction of a console-only crossplay option in regular Multiplayer has raised alarms among PC players, who fear that longer queue times could become a reality as console players opt out of crossplay to avoid potential cheaters from the PC community.

Cheating has long been a contentious issue in Call of Duty, particularly on PC. Activision has acknowledged the higher prevalence of cheating on this platform, stating that unfair deaths attributed to console players are more likely due to an 'intel advantage' rather than cheating. As a result, many console players choose to disable crossplay entirely to mitigate the risk of encountering PC cheaters.

The PC community's reaction has been vocal and largely negative. On platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), players such as exjr_ and @GKeepnclassy have expressed frustration, with some suggesting that the change could force them to switch to consoles for a better gaming experience. Others, like @CBBMack, have pointed out existing issues with matchmaking due to skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), which they believe will only worsen with these new settings.

Some PC players argue that Activision should focus on improving its anti-cheat measures rather than segregating player bases. Comments from users like MailConsistent1344 highlight the sentiment that better anti-cheat solutions could prevent the need for such drastic changes. Activision has indeed invested heavily in combating cheating, with recent successes including the shutdown of prominent cheat providers like Phantom Overlay. With the return of Verdansk to Warzone on the horizon, Activision has promised enhanced anti-cheat technology, which may help alleviate some of these concerns.

However, many within the community, including Call of Duty YouTuber TheXclusiveAce, believe that the majority of console players—often casual gamers—may not even notice or utilize these new settings. Most players simply engage in unranked Multiplayer for casual fun and are unlikely to delve into the intricacies of patch notes or settings adjustments. As a result, the default crossplay setting will likely remain unchanged for most, maintaining a large player pool for PC gamers.

TheXclusiveAce also noted that it's the players opting for console-only crossplay who will limit their own matchmaking pool, a choice now available to them in public matches. This trade-off, he suggests, may be one that many console players are willing to make for a potentially better gaming experience.

As Season 3 approaches for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, the impact of these changes on matchmaking and the ongoing battle against cheating will be closely watched. Whether these adjustments will significantly alter the gaming landscape remains to be seen, but the conversation around fairness, player experience, and anti-cheat measures continues to evolve.