Activision’s RICOCHET anti-cheat team has unveiled a new technology set to debut in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. This innovative system, called Server Culling, aims to tackle wallhacks by addressing the issue at its source.
Understanding Wallhacks
Wallhacks, a particularly frustrating type of cheat in first-person shooters, allow players to see enemies through solid objects like walls. This is typically achieved by exploiting how multiplayer game servers send player location data to clients. Cheating software can intercept this data, revealing an opponent’s precise location on the map even when they are out of sight.
Server Culling: The Solution
Infinity Ward and the RICOCHET team are implementing Server Culling to limit wallhacks by controlling the data flow from the server. The core principle is simple: cheating software cannot display information it never receives. Server Culling ensures that when a player shouldn’t know an opponent’s location, the server simply won’t transmit that data to their game client.
With Server Culling in play, servers will only send information that players are legitimately supposed to have. If an enemy is not within a player’s line of sight, the server will withhold their location data. Consequently, when the client doesn’t receive this information, wallhacks become ineffective.
Implementation Details
The development team has stated that Modern Warfare 4‘s maps will incorporate additional occlusion layers. These layers will enable servers to intelligently determine which opponent location data should not be sent to specific players. While Server Culling is presented as a new development, similar mechanisms have been employed in other competitive shooter titles through various means.
Broader Application
Activision has confirmed that Server Culling’s reach will extend beyond just the multiplayer maps of Modern Warfare 4. The technology will also be implemented in Warzone and its combat outposts. Furthermore, any multiplayer modes, Warzone, and new Call of Duty: Warzone maps introduced from Season 1 onwards will benefit from this anti-cheat measure.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is slated for release on October 23, 2026, and will be available on PC (Steam, Xbox, Battle.net), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
