The FPS Review may receive a commission if you happen to purchase something after clicking a link in this text.
Season 4 is live for Call of Duty, and as with every major season launch, Activision has published a full patch notes breakdown covering weapon balance, anti-cheat, and the structural changes rolling out with the brand new content. For PC players, the anti-cheat updates are the part price reading rigorously.
The SG-12 shotgun is taking successful this patch. The weapon has been a dominant pick at close range, and the nerf appears to handle its consistency and range profile. Specific numbers from the complete patch notes include adjustments to wreck falloff and pellet spread — the precise flavor of changes shotgun mains have learned to dread each time a latest season drops. Whether the SG-12 lands in balanced or unplayable territory is the standard post-patch guessing game that plays out over the primary week of the season.
The Ricochet anti-cheat update is the more consequential item for the PC player base. Ricochet has had a mixed reception since its introduction: it’s caught cheaters, nevertheless it’s also generated false positives, compatibility issues, and the persistent trust deficit that comes with any kernel-level anti-cheat system. The Season 4 notes describe continued updates to detection methods and mitigation tools. Whether this materially improves the on-the-ground experience or represents incremental improvement will take the community just a few weeks to evaluate. Anyone who’s hung out in CoD lobbies during the last yr knows the cheating situation has been higher and worse at different points; the trend line matters greater than any single patch.
Weapon balance changes across the broader arsenal are also included within the notes alongside the usual seasonal content additions: latest maps, modes, operators, and the associated battle pass tier grind. The seasonal content itself is outside the scope of a hardware-focused site, however the balance changes and anti-cheat work directly affect the PC experience and are price tracking.
Full patch notes can be found on the official Call of Duty blog.