Call of Duty: Black Ops Port Deemed ‘Unplayable’ As Lobbies Are Filled With Exploiters
Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 ports launched on PS4 and PS5 following high anticipation from the community. However, the ports have quickly become plagued with exploits, with players describing the multiplayer experience as “unplayable” as lobbies are overwhelmed with hackers and exploiters.
The situation echoes the notorious issues that plagued the original PS3 versions of these games, which became infamous for being overrun with hackers over the years. Despite Activision’s promise of new servers and infrastructure for the PS4/PS5 ports, the company appears to have implemented minimal anti-cheat upgrades or security measures to prevent exploits—suggesting a minimal-effort port rather than a comprehensive modernization.
This wasn’t unexpected for those familiar with the franchise’s history on other platforms. Xbox players have already experienced similar problems with the backward compatible versions of Black Ops titles, and many in the community openly predicted the PlayStation ports would face identical issues upon release. The problems have proven to be even more pronounced than anticipated.
In response to the widespread complaints, Activision acknowledged the issues and disabled select playlists on July 13, 2026, while the company investigates the reported exploits. This temporary solution indicates the severity of the situation but raises questions about whether more substantial anti-cheat systems should have been implemented before launch.
The port launch represents a disappointing example of reissuing legacy titles without addressing long-standing technical problems, leaving players frustrated after the initial excitement surrounding the release.