Call of Duty: Black Ops PS5 Ports Hit by Modded Lobby Exploit as Activision Disables Playlists
The newly released PlayStation 5 versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 have quickly climbed the PlayStation Store charts, proving that nostalgia for Treyarch’s classic shooters is still incredibly strong. However, the excitement has been disrupted by a major multiplayer exploit that is turning online matches into chaos.
Players have reported that modded lobbies are appearing in the PS5 ports, allowing users to rapidly gain XP and reach max level through a bizarre self-elimination method. The issue has become disruptive enough that Activision has temporarily disabled selected multiplayer playlists while it investigates the problem.
The exploit appears to affect modes such as Domination, where certain players repeatedly eliminate themselves with grenades and disconnect from matches. By abusing the lobby system, they can generate massive amounts of experience points and climb to level 50 far faster than intended.
For regular players, the result is frustrating. Matches are being filled with users constantly spawning, disappearing, and manipulating the game rather than playing normally. Instead of enjoying the classic Black Ops multiplayer experience, fans are running into broken lobbies that feel all too familiar to anyone who played the older PS3 versions in their later years.
There is also concern that interacting with exploited accounts could cause unexpected rank issues. Some players have warned others to avoid attacking max-level users in suspicious lobbies, as rank penalties or deleveling may occur. If a negative symbol appears in front of a player’s rank, they may even be pushed below level 1, potentially blocking them from entering multiplayer matches.
Activision has not fully detailed the exploit, but the company has acknowledged that it is looking into issues affecting multiplayer playlists. For now, certain playlists have been disabled as developers investigate the reported hacks and work toward a solution.
One major question remains: what happens to the players who gained levels unfairly, and what happens to those who may have lost progress because of the exploit? Some members of the community have suggested that cheaters should have their ranks reset, while affected legitimate players should have their progress restored.
The situation is especially disappointing because long-time fans hoped the PS5 ports would offer a cleaner, more secure way to revisit Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2. The older versions were often plagued by mod menus, XP exploits, aimbots, and hacked lobbies, especially in Black Ops 2. With updated server support, many expected these problems to be reduced or eliminated.
Unfortunately, the exploit is not the only issue players have noticed. Some users have reported slow matchmaking, random disconnects, and input lag during online play. These technical problems have made the experience feel less polished than expected, particularly for games that many fans were eager to revisit on modern hardware.
Another point of criticism is the overall presentation of the ports. While the games remain popular and beloved, players have questioned why more enhancements were not included. The PS5 versions reportedly run at 1080p and do not offer a 120Hz mode, which could have made aiming, movement, and gunplay feel smoother on modern displays.
Pricing has also become part of the conversation. Each Black Ops PS5 port costs $40 when not on sale, while downloadable content is sold separately. For that price, some fans expected stronger upgrades, improved performance options, and more reliable multiplayer protection.
Despite the backlash, interest in the Black Ops PS5 ports remains high. The strong sales show that classic Call of Duty multiplayer still has a dedicated audience. However, the current exploit has raised concerns about whether these releases received enough attention before launch.
For now, players hoping to enjoy Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 multiplayer on PS5 may need to wait for Activision to roll out fixes and restore the affected playlists. If the company can address the modded lobbies, protect player ranks, and improve stability, these ports could still become a popular way to experience two of the most iconic entries in the Call of Duty series.
