Waking up to a permanent ban notice in Call of Duty is a gut punch. You’ve spent hundreds of hours grinding for Orion or Interstellar camos, dropped way too much money on tracer packs, and suddenly, it’s all gone. Just a cold, static message saying your account is permanently suspended for "unauthorized software" or "manipulation of game data." It’s frustrating. It's even worse when you know you didn't cheat.
Look, Activision’s Ricochet anti-cheat is aggressive. Honestly, it has to be. The franchise has been plagued by wallhacks and aimbots for years, but the system isn’t perfect. False positives happen more often than the developers like to admit. Whether it’s a weird background process on your PC or a mass-reporting campaign by a salty squad you wiped in Warzone, you aren't necessarily out of options.
👉 See also: PS Plus Membership: How Much Does It Actually Cost in 2026?
If you’re trying to appeal a ban CoD gave you, you need to understand that this isn't a typical customer service interaction. You aren't "chatting" with a person who can see your screen. You are navigating a specific, rigid legal and technical process.
The Reality of the Activision Appeal System
First thing you have to accept: if your ban is for "offensive behavior" or "toxic chat," your odds are basically zero. Activision has doubled down on their Code of Conduct. They use AI to monitor voice chat in real-time now. If you were caught screaming slurs, that account is likely dead. Don't waste your energy.
However, if we're talking about security violations, there’s a sliver of hope.
The appeal a ban CoD portal is the only official way to contest a decision. You can't DM developers on X (formerly Twitter) and expect a fix. You can't email a "secret" support address. When you go to the Activision Support page, you’re looking for the "Agreement Violations" section. This is where the paper trail begins.
Why Ricochet Might Have Flagged You
Ricochet works at the kernel level. This means it’s looking at everything running alongside the game. Sometimes, it’s not a cheat provider that gets you banned; it’s mundane software that the anti-cheat misinterprets.
- RGB Lighting Software: Old versions of software for your keyboard or mouse (like early versions of iCUE or Razer Synapse) have triggered flags in the past because they use similar "hooking" methods to cheats.
- Overlays: High-performance monitoring tools or certain recording software can sometimes look like an injection.
- Shadow Bans: This is the precursor. If your ping suddenly jumps to 200ms and you can only find matches with blatant hackers, you’re shadow-banned. This is a manual or automated "quarantine" while they investigate your stats.
- Account Hacking: This is the most common legitimate reason for a successful appeal. If someone cracked your Activision ID, linked their Steam/Battle.net account, and went on a hacking spree, you can actually prove this via login IP logs.
The Step-by-Step Recovery Attempt
Go to the Activision Support Ban Appeal page. Log in. If your account is "under review," you just have to wait. There is no way to speed up a shadow ban. It usually clears in 7 to 14 days.
If it says "Permanently Banned," click the appeal button.
💡 You might also like: Free On Line Solitaire: Why This 1980s Office Staple Is Suddenly Taking Over Your Feed Again
Now, this is where most people mess up. They write an emotional essay. They complain about how much money they spent. They swear on their life they’ve never cheated. Activision does not care about your feelings. They care about data.
When you submit your statement, keep it clinical. If you suspect your account was compromised, state that clearly. Mention that you noticed unauthorized logins or that your associated email was changed. If you think a specific piece of software caused a conflict, name that software.
"I believe my account was compromised. I noticed an unauthorized Battle.net account linked to my Activision ID on [Date]. I have since secured my email with 2FA." That works. "Please I love this game and my brother was playing on my PC" does not.
What Happens Behind the Scenes?
When you submit that ticket, it goes to a queue. A low-level moderator or an automated script checks the "Security & Enforcement" logs associated with your hardware ID (HWID) and IP.
They are looking for specific signatures. Did the game detect a known "provider" (cheat software)? Or did it detect "memory manipulation"?
If you were banned for "Unlocking" items—using a tool to get camos you didn't earn—you are finished. Activision views that as a direct hit to their microtransaction revenue. They rarely, if ever, overturn those.
The "Account Hacked" Loophole
If you were legitimately hacked, you have a much better chance. Activision has a separate tool for "Account Recovery Requests."
Don't just appeal the ban. Go through the "Hacked Account" flow. If they can see that a login occurred from a different country or a different HWID right before the ban-worthy behavior started, they will often restore the account and wipe the ban. It’s a tedious process that can take weeks, but it’s the most successful path for innocent players.
Dealing with Hardware ID Bans
This is the nuclear option. If you’ve been banned multiple times, Activision might blackball your PC itself.
Even if you make a new account, it’ll be banned within an hour. This is because Ricochet has tagged your motherboard or SSD serial numbers. People will tell you to buy a "spoofer." Honestly? Don't. Most spoofers are malware or are already detected by Ricochet. If you’re HWID banned, you’re either buying a new PC or you're done with Call of Duty on that machine.
Misconceptions About "Spam Reporting"
You'll hear streamers complain about "spam reporting" all the time. While it’s true that getting reported by a whole lobby can trigger a shadow ban (the "Under Review" status), it almost never results in a permanent ban unless the anti-cheat finds actual evidence on your machine.
Mass reporting is a tool for the community to flag suspicious players for a human or deeper AI look. It isn't a "kill switch" that players can use to delete your account just because you’re good at the game. If you got a "Perm Ban" after being reported, something was found.
Nuance in the ToS
Activision’s Terms of Service are incredibly broad. They technically prohibit "any software that intercepts, emulates, or redirects the communication between the Software and Activision."
This can include VPNs. While many people use VPNs for better routing or to get easier "bot lobbies," using a poorly configured one can flag your account for "geographical spoofing." It’s a gray area. Usually, it just leads to a shadow ban, but if the system thinks you're using a VPN to circumvent regional pricing or to hide cheating software, it's a risk.
Actionable Next Steps to Secure Your Case
If you are currently sitting at your desk staring at a ban screen, do the following immediately:
- Check your 2FA: If it wasn't on, turn it on for your email and your platform (Steam/Xbox/PSN).
- Audit your linked accounts: Go to the Activision website and see if any weird accounts are linked to your profile. Take screenshots of anything you don't recognize.
- Check HaveIBeenPwned: See if your email was part of a recent data breach. This is great evidence to include in a "Hacked Account" recovery request.
- Clean your PC: If you’re appealing based on a false positive, uninstall any "trainer" software for single-player games, cheat engines, or aggressive macro tools. Even if you don't use them in CoD, Ricochet might see them.
- Be Patient: Submitting multiple tickets will get you flagged as a spammer. Send one well-documented appeal and wait. It usually takes 5-7 business days for a response, though it can take longer during a new season launch.
If the appeal is denied, that is usually the end of the road. Activision states in their policy that all "permanent suspensions are final and not subject to further review." At that point, your only real option is to wait a few months and see if a future "ban wave" is overturned—which does happen occasionally when Activision admits to a massive false-positive error—or start fresh on a completely different hardware setup.
✨ Don't miss: Silent Hill 5 Explained: What Really Happened to the Lost Sequel
Stop checking the ticket every hour. Go play something else for a week while the process plays out. If you were truly innocent and your account was compromised, the recovery path is your best bet, not the standard appeal button.