On July 16, Activision introduced an age-verification requirement that requiresCall of Dutyplayers to add their birthdate to their account to continue playing games likeBlack Ops 6orWarzone. Underage users who do not submit a valid birthdate or gain parental consent may risk theirCall of Dutyaccounts being deleted within four months.
The new requirement came following aWarzoneupdate that addressed some bugs and made balance changes to two Marksman Rifles. While theDM-10’s damage multipliers were nerfed in a previousCall of Dutyupdate, the July 16 patch further reduced its minimum and maximum range, along with additional damage adjustments. Some changes were also made to the TR2 rifle, as its bullet velocity, aim down sight speeds, and sprint to fire speeds were reduced across the board. Issues related to Ranked Play and the Plunder game mode were addressed.
WhileCall of Dutyhas come under fire forthe controversialBeavis and Butt-Headcrossover, another recent change has caught the attention of players. As reported by CharlieIntel on social media, Activision now requires allCall of Dutyplayers to submit their birthdate as part of a new age verification system introduced with the July 16 game updates. Activision stated that the change was made as part of ongoing efforts “to deliver a positive community experience as detailed in the Call of Duty Code of Conduct.” The submitted birthday is then linked to each player’s Activision account. Underage users must gain parental consent to continue playingCall of Duty, or their accounts will be deleted within four months of Activision’s initial request.
Playing Call Of Duty Now Requires A Valid Birthdate
However,Call of Dutyis not the only service to verify the age of its user base, as popular PC storefront Steam periodically asks for a valid birthdate when accessing games that contain mature-rated content, including theCall of Dutyfranchise. While some users have found ways toget around the mature content warnings on Steam, the same can’t be said forCall of Duty’s new age gate. In response,Call of Dutyplayers expressed concerns that this would lead to submitting a valid ID or driver’s license in future updates, while others pondered potential workarounds.
Between the new age verification change andthe upcoming gameplay reveal ofBlack Ops 7at Gamescom, the attention that theCall of Dutyfranchise has received this summer has been a mixed bag. It remains to be seen if the birthdate requirement to playCall of Dutywill be adjusted further.
