Activision Takes Legal Action Against Makers of "Toxic" Call of Duty Hack

Activision has filed a lawsuit against the creators of hacking software that the company claims is causing players to abandon the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

According to IGN, the lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California, targets two hacking tools, Lergware and GameHook, that Activision has been trying to shut down.

These hacking tools include features that allow users to unfairly kick other players from multiplayer servers and even crash entire servers.

GameHook also provides cheaters with "aimbots" that automatically hit opponents and "ESP Bots" that let players see enemy positions through walls and other obstacles.

The legal action names Ryan Rothholz (known online as Lerggy) as the original creator of Lergware. According to the lawsuit, Rothholz developed and released Lergware around 2021-2022, selling it for $25 through his website. In 2023, he reportedly updated the software to work with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone, which led to an increase in player "attacks" online.

Activision sent Rothholz a cease-and-desist letter in June 2023. The lawsuit claims that Rothholz initially posted this letter to a Discord community dedicated to Lergware and "openly mocked Activision." While he later agreed to comply with the cease-and-desist order, Activision alleges that he simply changed his online name and shared his source code with other hackers.

The company further claims that Rothholz then created GameHook, recruiting Collin Gyetvai from Pennsylvania and Jordan Newcombe Boothey from Australia as "resellers" of the new hacking tool.

GameHook was made available for several Call of Duty titles including Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops Cold War, and the latest Black Ops 6. The hack sold for at least $50 per game, with a $375 "master key" option for lifetime access to all supported games. Activision believes "hundreds, if not thousands" of players purchased GameHook.

Despite sending additional cease-and-desist letters in March 2025, Activision says none of the defendants confirmed they would stop creating or selling the hacks, nor did they provide copies of the GameHook source code to Activision as requested. The company believes the defendants are continuing to distribute their hacking tools through private channels or via Discord.

Activision is seeking monetary damages, injunctive relief, and punitive damages against the defendants. The company estimates the damages could amount to millions of dollars.

Cheating has long been an issue for Call of Duty, particularly in the PC version. The problem has become so widespread that many console players turn off crossplay features to avoid encountering PC cheaters.

The company recently announced it had shut down five more cheat makers and "disrupted" over 150 cheat sellers since its last progress report.