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Trash talking in online games has existed since before you could even use a microphone to communicate with teammates and the opposition. The Call of Duty franchise, in particular, is synonymous with players chatting nonsense in the heat of battle to deter the opposition or let a teammate know about their, let’s say, sub-par performance.
Throughout Season 1 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone, Activision has toughened its stance on trash talk in multiplayer and battle royale resulting in many receiving temporary bans as a result of their fruitful in-game communications. Now, it appears the Call of Duty publisher wants trash talk to return.
Call of Duty trash talk is back
As part of a long-awaited community update ahead of Season 2, Activision reveals players “should have the freedom to trash talk” but shouldn’t take things too far. While trash-talking in the game has resulted in some of the funniest clips in online gaming history, we’ve all seen how some players can take it too far.
“We’re constantly working with our teams to make sure moderation is solely targeting conversations that veer into derogatory territory,” the publisher announced.
To avoid any toxic conversation, Activision is continuing to examine its existing systems to ensure a fun and competitive environment is maintained even with a sprinkling of trash talk thrown into the mix.
The voice moderation within Black Ops 6 and Warzone has continued to cause frustration among players who have attempted to utilise trash talk during their matches. Instead of avoiding punishment for their chat, Activision has issued bans for two to seven days.
Call of Duty provides an update on their Voice Moderation system that MANY have criticized.
"Players should have the freedom to talk trash and we're constantly working with our teams to make sure moderation is solely targeting conversations that veer into derogatory territory" pic.twitter.com/O1ICXtzodu
— ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) January 17, 2025
Will more trash talk rescue Call of Duty?
Season 2 is make or break for Black Ops 6 and Warzone. With Raven Software reducing the amount of fresh content to ensure all issues are fixed, there’s a chance Activision is focused on reversing the fortunes of both multiplayer and battle royale.
Relaxing voice moderation may only be a small adjustment to the Call of Duty experience, but it’s bound to make a difference for those wanting to let their opponents know when they’ve been outgunned.
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