Cheating has been part of the online gaming community since the internet made competitive gaming possible. Call of Duty: Warzone has experienced the full force of cheats since the game launched, and the developers are constantly battling against adaptive programs. When one cheat gets shut down, another seems to quickly rise and take its place in Call of Duty: Warzone and many other online games.
Many of the hacks used in Call of Duty: Warzone originate from previous game environments. It is exceedingly common that hacks are simply imported and updated as many of them function the same way. A recently resurfacing hack was originally designed to thwart aimbot detection software, and now Ghost Aiming has made an appearance in the popular battle royale experience.
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Ghost Aiming, also often called Ghost Bullets, is a hack that allows players to kill targets without aiming at them. The design was originally meant to present a non-twitchy aimbot experience as many detection software focused on the speed and lock on the potential of aimbots. In Call of Duty: Warzone, the hack often appears as strange interactions that look normal until the kill cam is examined. It should be noted that players should not implement hacks or cheat in online games as it is against Activision's terms of service. Still, it is important to understand these hacks for players to counter the problem.
It has hard to determine the true origin of Ghost Aiming, as many hack sources and developers remain hidden. Still, finding some of the earliest signs of the hack is possible, with Ghost Aiming being a particular problem for the game Combat Arms. While Aimbots are particularly common, Ghost Aiming has quickly surpassed it as one of the most undetectable hacks on the market. After Call of Duty: Warzone banned thousands of players for aimbots, wallhacks, and using third-party overlays; this annoying upgrade appeared among the hacking community. Similar to an aimbot, Ghost Aiming can guarantee kills for anyone implementing this program.
Ghost Aiming operates similarly to an aimbot, which suggests that its core program is probably based on similar software. Aimbots access the game's aiming controls and use them to lock onto the core rig of character models. The same feature that allows the game to animate models and determine hitboxes is exploited by the system's detection software. Fans can think of this Call of Duty: Warzone hack as a stronger version of aim assist, but Ghost Aiming adds one core feature.
With the Ghost Aiming hack, the player model does not need to directly look at the enemy they are shooting at. This allows them to shoot in truly arbitrary directions while the game is tricked into believing that the bullets are headed at the target. From the player's point of view, the target is shooting directly at them, but in kill cams, there is a different perspective. The player could be shooting at a wall, into the sky, or at a completely different target, and the bullets will still impact the intended enemy.
This hack has been made available by several of the major hack distributors resulting in a surge in its use. At the moment, Ghost Aiming is undetected by Call of Duty: Warzone's anti-cheat software which makes it hard to know exactly how many players are using this program but spotting them is a tad bit easier. Players should've warned that as Ghost Aiming is derived from aimbot software, it will be difficult to get the jump on a cheating player. However, there are some telling signs that a Ghost Hack is in use that can help a player survive their encounter or spot it during the kill cam after.
When encountering a Ghost Aiming player, the immediate effect will be rapid damage. If a player moves quickly enough to cover, they may survive the initial blast of impact. Similar to an aimbot, the gun is auto-locking on the player, so it will be a similar experience to being "beamed" by a low recoil weapon. Call of Duty: Warzone hacks tend to compensate for recoil, so most of the bullets will immediately impact the player. From there, the player should try and spot where the enemy is coming from and note the direction that the bullets are traveling. The gun will be pointed vaguely in the right area, but the bullets will come out at odd angles.
Conversely, if a player manages to witness an enemy conflict, they can remain hidden and gather intel easily. The Call of Duty: Warzone cheater will be firing at their target and facing the right way, but bullet impacts won't match the bullet trajectory. For example, a player may be hitting an enemy to his right, but the impact points are directly in front of him, causing "collision" results on the area. Trees, walls, and stone will "chip" based on where the bullets are actually hitting versus where the damage/game is reading their impacts.
Finally, it will become easily noticeable in kill cams as the enemy will not be looking at their target at all. The Ghost Aim hack is limited by line of sight, so it can not shoot behind the player, but as long as the target is in their FOV, the damage will be present. Often this manifests as the player is shooting at walls, into the air, or at a tree and hitting their target despite aiming at nothing.
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Countering any aimbot program is extremely difficult, and Ghost Aiming double that difficulty. Still, they are all limited by a few core facts involving the program and the game's understanding of physics. Ghost Aiming may not require the player to be aimed at, but it does require a direct line between the target and the weapon. In other words, players behind cover are generally safe for the time being. This makes maneuverability a vital Call of Duty: Warzone tactic when avoiding Ghost Aiming situations. Call of Duty: Warzone fans are advised to keep mobile and avoid wide-open areas as these will give the cheater an advantage.
The best bet is to set traps and catch the cheater off guard. The Ghost Aim hack is still limited by the gun itself, and the player is vulnerable to explosives. It is less likely a player will win a gunfight against the cheater, but a well-placed C4 charge or a single-shot kill weapon may prevail despite the enemy's advantage. Also, aimbots and Ghost Aim hacks, in general, tend to focus center body for their kills, with some exceptions. This allows for fewer margins of error when shooting but does offer some protection to players hidden in vehicles. While this is not a solid plan, it may catch a cheater off guard long enough to score the much-needed kill.
It is important that Call of Duty: Warzone cheaters are reported when spotted within the game. Although Activision may take some time to ban the hacker, every report increases the chances that the cheater may have to surrender their accounts. With Call of Duty: Warzone ban waves continuing to increase, the company has effectively slowed down the wave of cheating players. Still, every report counts, and fans should continue to document and share any spotted hacks they come across throughout their game experience.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.