Call of Duty Introduces New ‘Server Culling’ Technology to Combat Wallhacks

Activision has announced a major new addition to Call of Duty’s anti-cheat efforts, with “Server Culling” set to be introduced with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare IV.

The new technology is designed to tackle one of the most difficult forms of cheating in Call of Duty: wallhacks.

How does Server Culling work?

Traditionally, a Call of Duty server can send information about players to a user's game client even when those players are hidden behind walls or other objects. While this information is normally invisible to the player, third-party cheat software can potentially exploit it to reveal enemy positions.

Server Culling aims to eliminate that problem.

Rather than sending every player's position to the client, the server will determine whether an enemy is actually visible to the player. If an opponent is completely hidden behind map geometry, their positional information will not be sent to the game.

Once the opponent becomes visible, the necessary information can then be provided to the player's game.

In simple terms, the system attempts to ensure that players cannot access information that they shouldn't be able to see in the first place.

Where will it be used?

Activision says Server Culling will be implemented across the game's launch multiplayer maps, as well as DMZ and Combat Outpost. The technology is also expected to be introduced on future multiplayer, DMZ and Warzone maps from Season 1 onwards.

The system will work alongside RICOCHET, rather than replacing the existing anti-cheat system. While Server Culling specifically targets the information that wallhacks rely on, RICOCHET will continue tackling other forms of cheating, including aimbots and other malicious software.

What could this mean for competitive Call of Duty?

The introduction of Server Culling could be particularly interesting for the competitive scene.

Wallhacks have long been one of the most difficult cheats to combat because they can give players a significant advantage without necessarily affecting their aim or movement. By preventing hidden enemy information from reaching the client, Activision is attempting to attack the problem at the server level.

For competitive Call of Duty, where a single piece of information can completely change the outcome of a gunfight, limiting the information available to cheats could be a significant step forward.

Whether Server Culling can deliver on its promise remains to be seen, but its introduction represents another major step in Activision's ongoing efforts to improve the integrity of Call of Duty.

With Modern Warfare IV approaching, all eyes will be on how effective the technology proves to be once players and competitive matches get their hands on it.