The new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is already getting a hornet’s nest buzzing, and the buzz for which is because of an upcoming modification to the crossplay feature in the game. Although crossplay has been hailed as a multiplayer gaming cure-all, making it possible for players on different platforms to participate in the game experience, the honeymoon is apparently over for PC gamers.
The essence of the problem lies in console players’ capacity to ultimately turn off crossplay, effectively cutting themselves off from PC competitors. Though this may appear to be an obvious decision, it has raised a firestorm among the PC faithful, who do not wish for it to mean a drastic drop in their numbers. In a game where matchmaking pace and diversity take center stage, having a reduced player base means more waiting time and fewer diversified games.
As noted, the most significant motivator for the demand is the existence of PC cheating. Console players, generally shielded from the more sophisticated PC hacks and exploits, are understandably outraged at having cheaters in their games. This is leading to strong demands for the ability to block crossplay with PC altogether.
Although make sense from a console user’s point of view, this action is something to worry about for PC gamers. They are worried about an influx of cheaters of their own, as the exclusion of console players might encourage those that would resort to such measures to gain an edge. It might also result in longer matchmaking time and worse quality of matches overall, as fewer individuals would be playing.
That is because the ongoing quest to achieve balance between accessibility and equity in cross-platform play. Crossplay is certain that it is something positive but brings with it new problems that game developers are going to have to conquer. Whether Activision can design a fix for both console and PC players is yet to be seen. One thing, though, is certain: the future of crossplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is yet to be decided. And for players on the PC, the stakes cannot be higher.
