Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Players Hit With Disconnects and Shadowbans for High Kill Games

Soldiers in tactical gear stand on the open ramp of a cargo plane above snowy mountains

Update (October 2026): This report dates from January 2023, during Warzone 2.0’s first season. The game now goes by Call of Duty: Warzone. Activision is retiring its PS4 and Xbox One versions once Modern Warfare 4’s Season 1 begins, shortly after that game’s October 23, 2026 launch. Our original report follows.

Warzone 2 players say a bug is kicking them out of matches when they hit 10 kills. They say the disconnect is then followed by a shadowban, where flagged players are quietly moved into separate matches.

The issue gained attention after Jake Lucky shared a clip of it on Twitter on January 4, 2023. According to GameSpot, several well-known Warzone 2 players and streamers have posted similar clips. In each one, they are disconnected right after their 10th kill.

What happens to a shadowbanned account?

Shadowbanned players are moved out of regular lobbies and into a smaller pool of suspected cheaters while their account is reviewed. That review either clears the account or leads to a further suspension.

Some players told GameSpot the same 10th-kill disconnect had happened to them before. They said it took five days for their account to be cleared.

What can affected players do?

The bug had not been acknowledged at the time of GameSpot’s report. Until there is a fix, the only common thread is the 10th kill. Some players may choose to play more cautiously in high-kill games.

If you think you have been wrongly flagged, you can check your account status and submit an appeal through Activision Support.

How Warzone has changed since this report

Season 2 of Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 was delayed by two weeks and launched on February 15, 2023.

The battle royale was later tied in turn to Modern Warfare III, Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7. Activision now simply calls it Call of Duty: Warzone.

Leaving PS4 and Xbox One

Older consoles are being phased out. According to Activision Support, Warzone was removed from the PS4 and Xbox One stores on June 4, 2026. Its in-game store on those consoles closed on June 25.

Three armed soldiers advance down a dark street next to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 logo
Modern Warfare 4 reveal artwork. Image: Activision

The game stops being playable on PS4 and Xbox One once Modern Warfare 4’s Season 1 begins.

Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2, with Season 1 shortly after. From that season, Warzone will bring in Modern Warfare 4 content and progression.

Modern Warfare 4 itself will not be released on PS4 or Xbox One.

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Rahis Saifi is the Editor-in-Chief of Game Empress, overseeing coverage of gaming news, industry developments, and gaming culture. He also runs Grand Theft Gamer on YouTube, where you can see him playing games like GTA Online, Resident Evil, WWE 2026, Hogwarts and so on.

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