Hardware Ban in Call of Duty: What It Means and How to Check It

A hardware ban blocks a device, not an account. A PC or console with an active hardware ban cannot be used for online play, whichever account is signed in. Activision's Security and Enforcement Policy (read on 2 November 2026) says hardware bans can apply across Call of Duty titles, past, present or future, so the ban carries over into Modern Warfare 4, which launched on 23 October 2026, and into Warzone.

The policy is the main source for this page. Several guides describe exactly which components Activision reads. The policy does not list them, so none of that is repeated here.

What the policy states

• Hardware bans apply to the device and not the account.
• A banned device cannot be used for online gameplay, and the ban can apply across titles.
• Hardware bans can vary in length.
• At any time the banned hardware may be cleared for online play or be banned again for another violation.
• Hardware bans are not eligible for appeal. The appeal page repeats this and states that hardware bans are not shown there.
• Extreme or repeated violations can lead to permanent suspension of all accounts and hardware bans.

How to check a device

Log in with an account in good standing on any crossplay Call of Duty title on that device. If the hardware is banned, a status notification is shown. The policy also suggests a different device when you want to check whether the account itself is in good standing or has extra penalties.

What leads to one

The policy does not tie hardware bans to a single act. It lists penalties that may apply to an account and/or hardware, and lists infraction types, including:

Infraction	How the policy defines it
Use of unauthorized software	Aimbots, wallhacks, trainers, stats hacks, injectors, input mapping software and other code that modifies game data
Unsupported peripherals	Unapproved input modification devices, modded controllers, IP flooders, lag switches
Spoofing	Any attempt to hide or disguise your identity or the identity of your hardware
Circumventing security	Any attempt to get around the security systems
Boosting	Exploiting the game to gain XP, prestige, score, weapon level or other in-game content
Glitching	Abusing an exploit, for example leaving the map boundary

Hardware bans are described among the penalties for these. Activision's anti-cheat team also states that it has made hardware banning more capable: in its 18 September 2026 post it says it issued more than 70,000 new hardware bans in the preceding month and that its protections make spoofers harder to get through.

Buying or borrowing a device

Because the ban stays with the machine, the policy warns about secondhand, shared or publicly accessible devices. A hardware ban may remain on a device from earlier violations, which could block online play for the new owner. A sensible check is to sign in to a crossplay Call of Duty title on the device before completing the purchase, or to ask the seller whether it was ever banned.

PC security requirements are a separate matter

On PC, Black Ops 7 has required TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot since launch, the Season 04 notes (3 June 2026) list both again for attestation, and the anti-cheat team's September 2026 post lists TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and Microsoft Azure Attestation among its protections. A PC that fails attestation is put in a separate matchmaking pool, which the notes do not describe as a hardware ban. See the shadowban page for that case.

Related terms

• Shadowban: limited matchmaking and attestation lobbies.
• Ricochet anti-cheat: the detection system.
• Settings, ranked and anti-cheat glossary: how the PC security checks and Ranked Play rules fit together.
• Call of Duty wiki: the full list.

FAQ

Can a hardware ban be appealed?

No. Activision states that hardware bans are not eligible for appeal. Only permanent account bans can be appealed, and the appeal page says bans are overturned only when the account was hacked.

Will a new account fix a hardware ban?

No, because the ban is attached to the device, not the account. Any account on that device is blocked from online play.

Does a hardware ban last forever?

Not necessarily. The policy says hardware bans can vary in length and the hardware can be cleared or banned again at any time. It gives no durations.

Does a hardware ban affect other games?

It applies across Call of Duty titles, according to the policy. Other publishers have their own rules.