Bans due to launching games on ReFS

[funkerwolf]

Good evening, everyone. Who can help and advise on what to do about being banned from Activision games for no reason? Here's what happened: we have four banned accounts with evidence, but Activision stubbornly ignores bug reports, and now they've gone so far as to ban me and deny me access to their technical support... All because I launched CoDBOCW from a installed Windows 11 24h2 on ReFS partition. 
Evidence and references to our articles:
reddit.com/r/Warzone/comments/1kl8wys
habr.com/articles/929782
habr.com/articles/923190
I honestly don't know where to turn anymore, they ignore comments even on LinkedIn. And let me remind you that Activision has been owned by Microsoft for quite some time now, which means that Microsoft games are incompatible with the Microsoft file system, where the Microsoft operating system is installed... And the worst thing is that none of their agreements/policies/terms mention file systems, yet they insist on treating them as dogma, claiming that something has been violated, but they won't say what exactly...

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

The best bet might be to see if you can get a gaming journalist to try replicate this and post an article about the issue.

@LoneWolfSL posts the gaming related news on Neowin.

Tom Warren (ex Neowin) writes about all things Microsoft (who now own Activision) so might potentially be interested in the issue.

If you play on your machine with a non banned account using NTFS do you still get banned? if so I wonder if the UUID of your machine is potentially blacklisted due to the bans.

[funkerwolf]

On 18/08/2025 at 12:02, InsaneNutter said:

The best bet might be to see if you can get a gaming journalist to try replicate this and post an article about the issue.

@LoneWolfSL posts the gaming related news on Neowin.

Tom Warren (ex Neowin) writes about all things Microsoft (who now own Activision) so might potentially be interested in the issue.

If you play on your machine with a non banned account using NTFS do you still get banned? if so I wonder if the UUID of your machine is potentially blacklisted due to the bans.

I would be very grateful if they could help with my problem and that of other players who are being banned for no apparent reason, and why this company does not disclose them even when there is evidence. It all started when I upgraded my computer this winter, essentially for the sake of this game... and as a result of this upgrade, I got banned... At this point, all options were ruled out. I also thought that my hardware might have been banned, but as it turned out, that wasn't the case. We reproduced this problem four times on different hardware and in different regions, and the result was the same. Permanent ban on the account when launching Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War from the ReFS partition and where Windows 11 24h2 is installed. Of course, it is very difficult to write this text now, because this topic is simply unbearable for me, and getting branded a cheater for no reason on Steam/Blizzard accounts... it's just something... I understand that Windows does not officially support booting from a ReFS partition, but 24h2 and Server 2025, among others, allow it, and it works surprisingly fast on a good SSD, for example, when switching from the login screen to the desktop. But there is absolutely nothing about file systems in the license agreement/terms/policy, yet Activision forces everyone to read it as dogma... It reminds me of my school days, when they forced us to live by the rules in certain educational institutions that were not particularly good... And in other games, they don't ban you for running on Windows installed with ReFS, and it's been more than six months now, everything is fine in CS2/VRChat and others. I'm not going to give Activision any more money with this attitude, and now I basically don't care about this series of games; they've alienated me from it themselves. But I have to remove the cheater label from my account and from my friends' accounts, including exposing the true face of this company. Now I understand why she is so disliked. I can also recall several instances when the same author of MSI Afterburner assured me that such bans were impossible, and instead of helping me resolve the issue, he banned me from guru3d. At the time, I really thought that I had been banned for DLSS Override, and if you google it, you will find other people who have suffered the same fate. Unfortunately, I cannot directly purchase a copy of the game to reproduce the issue and provide others with evidence of the problem. I can only reiterate that the issue also occurs in the free COD: WarZone, but the ban there is temporary and will be lifted in a week, but it is still there! It has also been noted that COD Black Ops 4 cannot run on ReFS without administrator rights, but for some reason this does not affect any of the previous games in the series. And the worst part of this whole situation is that ReFS has been around for 13 years! For some reason, Activision programmers still haven't learned how to work with it, and for some reason they are shifting the blame for their mistakes onto ordinary users and gamers, who are not receiving any help in this case, but for some reason they don't forget to charge money for the game. I would be very grateful if there were at least an article about this case, and it would be great if it reached other media outlets and the situation was finally resolved.
There may be errors in this text, as it was translated using DeepL. Since I am not fluent in English, I can only read for my own understanding.

[funkerwolf]

Dear @LoneWolfSL and @tomwarren, please help with this issue. To reproduce the situation, simply install Windows 11 24h2 on a ReFS partition, format the previously created system partition to ReFS using diskpart, and then proceed as usual — download and install the game, launch it, configure the graphics settings, start searching for a match, and then click on the link https://support.activision.com/ban-appeal to see that the games on your account are banned. Example for installing https://youtu.be/sfB6fV99QnM

Edited August 18, 2025 by funkerwolf

[funkerwolf]

I also remembered one moment when Activision support gave me this answer.

[funkerwolf]

Of course, it's encouraging that my comments are being read by real people at Activision, but it seems that this doesn't mean anything.

[Circaflex]

Have you tried tagging them on Twitter?

[funkerwolf]

On 19/08/2025 at 00:51, Circaflex said:

Have you tried tagging them on Twitter?

yes

[funkerwolf]

I have also tried repeatedly to contact Steam support and Blizzard, but neither of them can help and they refer me to Activision support, and now I can't even submit a ticket there, simply because the SUBMIT button is not active under my account. Of course, activate it using the page code, and the ticket is sent, but I still haven't received a response to this day.
 

Spoiler

I can also invite my friends who helped uncover the problem to this forum thread, but I'm afraid they won't respond here. One of them is the author of patched drivers for nvidia p106-100, which allow you to run games and other 3D-intensive applications as on a regular gtx1060, but I have not used them, if that is what we are discussing. He personally received a ban on his account and was very surprised that such a thing was possible.
Well, I can share with you what the author of MSI Afterburner himself said about such cases, but there were also cases when players were banned simply for using software to RGB-light up their mouse...https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/i-get-permaban-in-cod-after-dlss-override.455671/page-3#post-6318188
P.S. I am by no means trying to humiliate him, but I don't understand this attitude either. I came for help, and in response I got this and a ban on the forum as well.

Well, plus there's this awful thing for me in this situation. Instead of basically accepting an early bug report with ReFS for Activision, they don't respond and ban access to their support. And apparently, until Windows switches to ReFS by default and there's a huge wave of bans like there was with AMD Antilag, the situation probably won't change. ..

And I even bought these games for myself and my friends, first from Blizzard, then from Steam, so that they could be launched independently of the launcher, and I also spent money on upgrading my computer, essentially on credit, and installed all the latest updates, including Windows on ReFS, so that everything would run smoothly — and in response, I got banned without the right to appeal....

Well, let's say another scary scenario is possible: let's say a previous owner of a computer sells it with Windows on ReFS, and the new owner doesn't reinstall the system, runs CoD on it, and gets banned without explanation...

Plus, I can remind you that getting banned from an Activision account on one of the titles will result in a ban on future CoD purchases, i.e., because of a false ban, I won't be able to play Black Ops 7 in the future, and no one will refund my money.

Edited August 18, 2025 by funkerwolf

[neufuse Veteran]

On 18/08/2025 at 16:23, funkerwolf said:

I also remembered one moment when Activision support gave me this answer.

that's seriously what they responded with? good gawd, talk about deflection instead of answering the push it to mental health issues.....

[funkerwolf]

On 19/08/2025 at 02:10, neufuse said:

that's seriously what they responded with? good gawd, talk about deflection instead of answering the push it to mental health issues.....

I hope it was their bot that responded. At that time, they really caused me problems with my heart, in addition to problems at work because of our former system administrator, but such a response was certainly surprising... I can forward this message from them to your email address.

[remixedcat]

wait they can ban ppl for using a different file system??? and then posted links thinking you're gonna freakin off yourself? cracktivision indeed. 

[Steven P. Administrators]

I spent some time looking into this with a fellow reporter, but I am convinced we (Neowin) can't help or highlight the issue in a news post, simply because Microsoft does not officially support having Windows installed on an ReFS partition https://gist.github.com/0xbadfca11/da0598e47dd643d933dc

The bans may have resulted from the unofficial way you installed the games on the ReFS Windows system (as I read that at least one game did not have permission to modify the game data folder) which then possibly triggered the anti-cheat system.

To me this issue is like buying a brand new gasoline car, filling it up with diesel and then blaming the car manufacturer that it doesn't work as expected.

[remixedcat]

but why would a game dev care about what filesystem you are using? Not unless aimbots are built into it?

[funkerwolf]

It's always like this. I'm left with the problem one-on-one. But I would like to remind you that nowhere in the agreement/terms/policy is there anything about file systems, and they refer to it.

On 19/08/2025 at 02:20, Steven P. said:

(as I read that at least one game did not have permission to modify the game data folder) which then possibly triggered the anti-cheat system.

That's what I wrote everywhere, but it's just a theory.

[funkerwolf]

On 19/08/2025 at 02:20, Steven P. said:

https://gist.github.com/0xbadfca11/da0598e47dd643d933dc

This is an outdated link with incomplete information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReFS#Implementations
The file system should not be a reason for a ban, or at least it should be announced. And then it turns out that Microsoft games are not compatible with the Microsoft file system on the Microsoft operating system. Activision belongs to Microsoft. And even if that were the case, other games would also be banned, but that's not happening. And Windows itself does not prohibit installation if this method were not supported.

Edited August 18, 2025 by funkerwolf

[Steven P. Administrators]

On 19/08/2025 at 01:25, funkerwolf said:

This is an outdated link with incomplete information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReFS#Implementations

From that same article

"Starting with Windows 11 build 22621.2338, ReFS is re-introduced via a Dev Drive feature; allowing fixed storage drives and VHDs to be formatted as ReFS, with special file and Microsoft Defender policies added during use."

A Dev drive is not a boot drive, so we come back to the same problem where it is not yet officially supported. (Microsoft even places a warning about its intended use).

[funkerwolf]

On 19/08/2025 at 02:38, Steven P. said:

From that same article

"Starting with Windows 11 build 22621.2338, ReFS is re-introduced via a Dev Drive feature; allowing fixed storage drives and VHDs to be formatted as ReFS, with special file and Microsoft Defender policies added during use."

A Dev drive is not a boot drive, so we come back to the same problem where it is not yet officially supported. (Microsoft even places a warning about its intended use).

Starting with Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11 build 22557, the boot environment natively supports ReFS, allowing the system to be installed and run in a special way on a volume formatted with ReFS v3.
With all due respect, I don't want to argue and spoil the mood for everyone in this thread. So what should I do? I don't want to create new accounts, but why should I be labeled a cheater when I'm not one? There's nothing like this in any other game, and not only does their support not help, but they've also blocked access to it.
And there is nothing about this in the license agreement/terms/policy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exTtARLe7BA The problem is that they ignore the direct bug report and have even rejected the appeal four times! They could have responded, “Okay, reinstall Windows on NTFS and then we'll lift the ban...” but for some reason, they haven't done so.
And the fact is that they claim their anti-cheat system is great, but then why are there no checks and no second chances? The games could simply crash or display an error message, and then it would be clear what was wrong and what to do, but instead it took almost several months to investigate after ban...
Will the ban be lifted when Windows officially switches to ReFS? I doubt it, and it turns out that running the game on a virtual machine such as dev home, regardless of the purpose, will also result in a ban... Is this a reasonable approach? With such success, you can then ban anything and cover yourself with any wording of the same type, saying that it is not official, as they do. But again, none of this is in the agreement/policy/terms and conditions. And if you look at it that way, in fact, we ourselves are already thinking that this is an unofficial way of installing it. In fact, the rights of users and players were violated. And an unofficial prohibition on the use of legal software/hardware capabilities was announced. They announced the Secure Boot and TPM2.0 requirements for some reason, but they didn't mention ReFS, which is essentially a landmine. Although it's not clear how these two things are supposed to protect against cheaters. Then, following this logic, accounts should be banned for running games on Windows Insider builds, modified video card drivers such as p106-100, which, incidentally, surprisingly does not happen. The same goes for BIOS that allows you to run Xeon on desktop motherboards... Or allowing Coffee Lake+ processors to run on motherboards that officially only support Skylake and Kabylake, although in reality there are no real restrictions. And in general, I am grateful to those who notice this problem and help in any way they can, rather than simply abandoning me or accusing me of being entirely to blame for everything...

Well, at least thank you for that. Please don't delete the thread or close access to it, so that other people can see the problem and that it is real.

Edited August 19, 2025 by funkerwolf

[funkerwolf]

On 19/08/2025 at 02:19, remixedcat said:

wait they can ban ppl for using a different file system??? and then posted links thinking you're gonna freakin off yourself? cracktivision indeed. 

Yes, that's right, they secretly prohibit installing Windows and games on non-NTFS drives, even though this is not specified anywhere. And no one else does that except them. By the way, there were no bans for the beta of Battlefield 6, but Activision bans easily and for no apparent reason.

I couldn't send the forum message until now, because for some reason Google Translate was included in the quote...

Edited August 19, 2025 by funkerwolf

[neufuse Veteran]

On 18/08/2025 at 19:20, Steven P. said:

I spent some time looking into this with a fellow reporter, but I am convinced we (Neowin) can't help or highlight the issue in a news post, simply because Microsoft does not officially support having Windows installed on an ReFS partition https://gist.github.com/0xbadfca11/da0598e47dd643d933dc

The bans may have resulted from the unofficial way you installed the games on the ReFS Windows system (as I read that at least one game did not have permission to modify the game data folder) which then possibly triggered the anti-cheat system.

To me this issue is like buying a brand new gasoline car, filling it up with diesel and then blaming the car manufacturer that it doesn't work as expected.

You'd hope they'd stop you on the install saying this isn't a supported file system if it's part of their anti-cheat system... you'd hope......

[funkerwolf]

On 19/08/2025 at 03:30, neufuse said:

You'd hope they'd stop you on the install saying this isn't a supported file system if it's part of their anti-cheat system... you'd hope......

Or they could have at least done that... But instead, we ended up with what we have now. If I had the opportunity to sue them, I would have already done so. Because there are no actual violations, especially if you refer to their terms and conditions/policy/agreements. I have already tried to file a complaint with the BBB, but it seems that they are also affiliated with them. Anything but an admission of mistakes and an apology. Something along the lines of, “We will not disclose the reason.” 
I remember a funny moment, by the way. Punkbuster banned cd-keys in the same way. Just for launching the game with the Steam overlay. Apparently, this is also an unofficial method. There is nothing illegal about it, but you still get banned.

Edited August 19, 2025 by funkerwolf

[HoneyGirl]

On 18/08/2025 at 16:23, funkerwolf said:

I also remembered one moment when Activision support gave me this answer.

This is the part were they truly did you dirty in my opinion, 'here's the suicide watch links, have a great day'.  On which store the game was bought?

[funkerwolf]

On 19/08/2025 at 08:24, HoneyGirl said:

On which store the game was bought?

Blizzard+Steam and also MSStore, several copies and all banned

[funkerwolf]

also https://www.protondb.com/app/1985810

[Gotenks98]

If a game is looking at your file system, it is definitely not something you want to be playing. That is just way too intrusive.