On July 16, Activision implemented a crucial age-verification requirement for Call of Duty players, necessitating that users provide their birthdate to continue accessing games like Black Ops 6 and Warzone. Users who are underage and fail to provide a valid birthdate or parental consent risk having their Call of Duty accounts deleted within four months.

This change followed a patch for Warzone that addressed several bugs and rebalanced two Marksman Rifles. The patch included reductions in range and damage for the DM-10 rifle, while adjustments were also made to the TR2 rifle’s bullet velocity and aim speeds. There were also fixes related to Ranked Play and the Plunder mode.

Amid ongoing controversies surrounding Call of Duty, including discussions around the recent Beavis and Butt-Head crossover, players have expressed concern about the potential for future requirements that could necessitate providing an official ID. This new age verification effort is part of Activision’s attempts to ensure a positive gaming experience as outlined in their Code of Conduct. Notably, similar measures have been introduced by other gaming platforms, such as Steam, for mature content access.