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On a supported console playlist in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, open Options → Settings → Account & Network, then set the applicable crossplay control to OFF. Multiplayer Unranked, Multiplayer Ranked and Warzone Ranked use separate controls. Players using the Microsoft Store or Xbox PC app must block cross-network play in Xbox privacy settings instead. Black Ops 6 players on Steam or Battle.net cannot disable crossplay, according to Activision Support.
These instructions are title- and mode-specific. Activision’s documented controls do not establish one universal switch for every Call of Duty release or every Warzone playlist.
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Which Call of Duty crossplay setting applies to you?
“Call of Duty” is a series rather than one single settings menu. The available control depends on the game, playlist and way you launch it. Activision’s documented instructions cover Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone as follows:
| Game or playlist | Where the control is documented | What OFF does |
|---|---|---|
| Black Ops 6 Multiplayer Unranked | Console in-game settings | Matchmaking limited to your current gaming platform |
| Black Ops 6 Multiplayer Ranked | Console in-game settings | Ranked matchmaking limited to your current gaming platform |
| Warzone Ranked | Console in-game settings | Ranked matchmaking limited to your current gaming platform |
| Black Ops 6 from the Microsoft Store or Xbox PC app | Xbox PC app privacy settings | Cross-network play blocked globally through the Xbox account setting |
| Black Ops 6 on Steam or Battle.net | No supported disable control documented | Crossplay cannot be disabled |
The article does not establish an OFF switch for every Warzone playlist. The documented Warzone control is specifically labeled Ranked Crossplay, so do not assume that changing it also changes unranked or other limited-time playlists.
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- Cross Gen-Bundle of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 includes Xbox Series X and Xbox One versions of the game.
- The Black Ops 6 promotion brings dynamic play moment to moment containing a variety of playing spaces with big buster set pieces and action-packed moments, high stakes wedges and spy activity mantle and dagger.
- In a premium multiplayer experience, players will test their skills over 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
- Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand new maps at launch.
- Cross-Gen Bundle of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will also be available on select game pass plans at launch. *
Turn off Black Ops 6 crossplay on a console
Use these steps when you play Black Ops 6 on a console and want to restrict a supported Multiplayer playlist to your current console platform.
Multiplayer Unranked
- Launch Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and open the Options menu.
- Select Settings.
- Open Account & Network.
- Find Multiplayer Unranked Crossplay.
- Set the control to OFF.
Activision defines this choice as matchmaking only with players on your current gaming platform. It also warns that matchmaking quality may be negatively affected when crossplay is disabled. “Quality” is not a promise about queue speed, opponent skill or connection performance; the support guidance does not provide measured wait times or a guaranteed competitive advantage.
Multiplayer Ranked
- Open Options.
- Choose Settings → Account & Network.
- Locate Ranked Crossplay.
- Select OFF.
Ranked has its own setting. Turning off Multiplayer Unranked Crossplay does not automatically document a change to Ranked, and vice versa. Ranked Crossplay offers three choices: ON, ON (CONSOLE ONLY) and OFF.
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| Setting | Platforms included | Activision’s warning | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| ON | All supported platforms for that playlist | No specific restriction; the broader pool is available | You want the widest documented matchmaking pool |
| ON (CONSOLE ONLY) | Other supported console platforms, excluding PC platforms | May negatively affect matchmaking quality | You want console-to-console matchmaking without restricting the pool to one console family |
| OFF | Your current gaming platform only | May negatively affect matchmaking quality | You accept a smaller pool to avoid cross-platform matches |
ON (CONSOLE ONLY) is not the same as OFF. It still permits matches with other console platforms. OFF is the platform-only choice described by Activision for the documented console modes.
For example, an Xbox player selecting ON (CONSOLE ONLY) can still be matched with players on a supported PlayStation console. Selecting OFF narrows the documented pool to the Xbox platform being used. Likewise, a PlayStation player using OFF is not choosing “all consoles”; the setting is tied to the current gaming platform. The exact platforms included can depend on the playlist’s support rules, so read the label shown in your own game.
Turn off Warzone crossplay for Ranked
Activision’s Warzone instructions concern the Ranked playlist. They do not establish that the same switch disables crossplay for every Warzone mode.
- Open Options in Warzone.
- Go to Settings → Account & Network.
- Find Ranked Crossplay.
- Set it to OFF.
With OFF selected, the documented behavior is current-platform-only matchmaking for Warzone Ranked. Activision warns that matchmaking quality may suffer. Because labels and playlist rules can change with updates, check the control shown beside the playlist you are actually entering rather than assuming a Ranked setting governs unranked Warzone.
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If you mainly play Resurgence, Battle Royale, Plunder or a rotating event, do not infer that the Ranked control applies there. The official instruction identifies Ranked Crossplay by name; it does not promise one account-wide Warzone switch for every mode. If no corresponding control appears for a playlist, consult the current in-game description or title-specific support page rather than changing an unrelated setting.
Microsoft Store and Xbox PC app: use the Xbox privacy setting
Activision says players using the Microsoft Store or Xbox PC app do not have access to the in-game crossplay setting described for console. Instead, change the cross-network privacy permission in the Xbox PC app.
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- Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower.
- This is signature Black Ops across a cinematic single-player Campaign, a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, and the epic return of Round-Based Zombies.
- The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
- In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
- Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- Open the Xbox PC app.
- Select your Gamertag at the top of the app and choose Settings.
- Open the Account tab.
- Scroll to Privacy settings and select Manage.
- Select Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 devices Online Safety.
- Set You can join cross-network play to Block.
- Select Submit.
This is a global Xbox account privacy control, not a Black Ops 6-only toggle. It can therefore affect other games and services that use the same cross-network permission. If the game was open while you changed the setting, close it fully and launch it again so the account permission can be read at startup.
Make sure you change the setting for the Xbox account that actually launches the game. A different Windows login or Gamertag will not necessarily inherit the choice. The wording matters: You can join cross-network play must be set to Block; changing a nearby communication or multiplayer permission is not the same documented control.
Steam and Battle.net limitation
If you play Black Ops 6 on Steam or Battle.net, Activision states: “Crossplay cannot be disabled when playing on Steam or Battle.net.” The console path under Account & Network is not a supported workaround for those PC versions. Changing unrelated Activision account options or unlinking an account is not established as a way to disable crossplay.
This limitation is specific to the documented Black Ops 6 PC launchers. It does not mean every PC edition of every Call of Duty release has identical behavior. Microsoft Store and Xbox PC app players are covered by the Xbox privacy procedure above, while Steam and Battle.net players should not expect that procedure or the console menu to provide a supported OFF switch.
Xbox console priority rule
For Xbox console players, Activision notes that crossplay can be adjusted in the game or through console settings, and that console settings take priority over in-game settings. If you select OFF in the game but matches still include other platforms, inspect the Xbox cross-network-play permission and make sure it is not allowing cross-network play. Reopen the game after changing the console setting.
The exact Xbox console privacy screens can vary by system software and account configuration. The important diagnostic rule from Activision is the priority order: a console-level choice can override what the in-game menu displays. Therefore, an in-game OFF selection is not proof that the effective account permission is OFF. Check both layers when the observed matchmaking behavior does not match the menu.
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What changes when crossplay is off?
Matchmaking scope
For the documented console controls, OFF narrows matchmaking to the current gaming platform. ON (CONSOLE ONLY) keeps console crossplay and is therefore a broader pool than OFF. ON leaves the broadest supported pool available for the playlist.
The restriction applies to the mode whose control you changed. A Ranked setting should not be treated as a documented change to Unranked Multiplayer, and Warzone Ranked should not be treated as a documented change to every Warzone playlist. This mode-specific scope is the most common reason a player believes the setting “did not work.”
Queue and match quality
Activision warns that both ON (CONSOLE ONLY) and OFF may negatively affect matchmaking quality. The warning does not quantify the effect, so it would be inaccurate to promise a particular queue time, ping, population size, opponent level or reduction in cheating. Your experience can vary by region, time of day, playlist and the number of players using the same restriction.
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- This is signature Black Ops across a cinematic single-player Campaign, a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, and the epic return of Round-Based Zombies.
- The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
- In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
- Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- The Cross-Gen Bundle of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will also be available on select Game Pass plans at launch.*
Choosing OFF is therefore a trade-off, not a performance guarantee. A smaller eligible pool may be less consistent, especially in a less-populated playlist, but the official guidance does not provide a universal threshold or measured delay. If the trade-off is unacceptable, restore ON; if you want to exclude PC while retaining console crossplay and the option is available, ON (CONSOLE ONLY) is the middle choice.
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Disabling crossplay is not documented as disabling cross-progression. Activision describes progression separately: in supported games, progression is stored on the Activision account for linked platforms. A matchmaking restriction changes who can be placed in a match; it does not, by itself, erase account progression or move it to a different account.
Do not unlink your Activision account as a crossplay workaround. The account guidance does not establish that unlinking changes matchmaking eligibility, and it could create unnecessary account-management problems. Keep the account linked unless a current official support instruction specifically requires another action.
Troubleshooting when the setting is missing or ineffective
The menu does not show a crossplay switch
- Confirm that you are on a console version of Black Ops 6 or on the documented Warzone Ranked playlist.
- If you launched Black Ops 6 through the Microsoft Store or Xbox PC app, use the Xbox PC app privacy procedure instead of looking for an in-game control.
- If you are on Steam or Battle.net, the documented limitation applies: crossplay cannot be disabled.
- Check the playlist name. Multiplayer Unranked Crossplay and Ranked Crossplay are separate controls.
- Check that you are looking under Account & Network, not a graphics, controller or general interface page.
The setting is OFF but other platforms still appear
- On Xbox, check the console-level cross-network setting because it takes priority over the in-game choice.
- On Xbox PC, verify that You can join cross-network play is set to Block, then select Submit.
- Exit the game completely and relaunch it after changing an account or console privacy setting.
- Confirm that you changed the control for the mode you are playing. A Ranked setting is not documented as controlling Unranked play.
- Verify that the game is using the same Xbox account or Gamertag whose privacy setting you edited.
Matches take longer or feel less consistent
A smaller eligible pool can make matchmaking less predictable. Activision explicitly warns of possible negative effects on matchmaking quality after selecting ON (CONSOLE ONLY) or OFF. If finding a match becomes impractical, return to ON or, when available, ON (CONSOLE ONLY). That is a trade-off, not evidence that one setting is universally faster or fairer.
The label changed after an update
Game menus and playlist rules can change with later updates and releases. Use the exact label currently shown under Account & Network, and verify title-specific support information before applying a Black Ops 6 path to another Call of Duty game. A similar-looking switch may have a different scope, or a playlist may no longer expose the same choice.
Black Ops 7 and other Call of Duty releases
The official Black Ops 7 page identified for this topic confirms crossplay and cross-progression support, but it does not provide instructions for turning crossplay off. That evidence is not enough to claim that the Black Ops 6 menu path works in Black Ops 7. For Black Ops 7, look for a current title-specific setting or support article and follow the labels in that release.
The same caution applies to older Call of Duty games, new annual releases, platform editions and special playlists. A familiar-looking menu does not prove that the control has the same scope. Check whether the setting says Multiplayer Unranked, Ranked, Warzone Ranked or something else before treating it as a universal switch.
Quick decision guide
- Console, Black Ops 6 Multiplayer Unranked: Options → Settings → Account & Network → Multiplayer Unranked Crossplay → OFF.
- Console, Black Ops 6 Multiplayer Ranked: Options → Settings → Account & Network → Ranked Crossplay → OFF.
- Console, Warzone Ranked: Options → Settings → Account & Network → Ranked Crossplay → OFF.
- Microsoft Store or Xbox PC app: Xbox PC app → Gamertag → Settings → Account → Privacy settings → Manage → Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 devices Online Safety → You can join cross-network play → Block → Submit.
- Steam or Battle.net: Activision says crossplay cannot be disabled for Black Ops 6.
- Xbox console override: Check console cross-network settings because they take priority over the in-game selection.
Use OFF only when restricting the documented playlist to your current platform is worth the possible matchmaking-quality trade-off. If you need console-only rather than platform-only matchmaking, choose ON (CONSOLE ONLY) where that option is offered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off crossplay disable it everywhere in Black Ops 6?
No. Multiplayer Unranked Crossplay and Ranked Crossplay are separate controls. Change the setting for the playlist you intend to play; the documented instructions do not establish one universal switch for every mode.
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- In the top-class multiplayer gameplay, players can check their skills on 16 new maps at the time of release, including 12 standard 6 on 6 and 4 battle maps that can be played in 2 on 2 or 6 out of 7
- Black Ops 6 also means the epic return of your fan-favorite Zombies mode
Can I turn off crossplay in every Warzone playlist?
Activision’s documented Warzone control is labeled Ranked Crossplay. Set it to OFF for Warzone Ranked, but do not assume it governs unranked or rotating playlists unless the game presents the same control for that mode.
What is the difference between OFF and ON (CONSOLE ONLY)?
OFF limits matchmaking to your current gaming platform. ON (CONSOLE ONLY) still allows matches with other supported consoles while excluding PC platforms. Both can negatively affect matchmaking quality.
Why can’t I find the option on Steam or Battle.net?
Activision states that crossplay cannot be disabled when playing Black Ops 6 on Steam or Battle.net. The console Account & Network path is not a supported workaround for those launchers.
How do I block cross-network play on Xbox PC?
In the Xbox PC app, select your Gamertag, choose Settings, open Account, select Manage under Privacy settings, open Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 devices Online Safety, set You can join cross-network play to Block, and select Submit.
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No such effect is documented. Crossplay controls matchmaking, while progression is stored on the Activision account for linked platforms in supported games.
Will turning crossplay off make matches fairer or faster?
Activision only warns that matchmaking quality may be negatively affected. It does not provide measured queue times, skill differences, connection guarantees or cheating-rate comparisons, so no universal improvement should be promised.
Why does my Xbox in-game setting not seem to apply?
Xbox console settings take priority over the in-game setting. Check the console-level cross-network permission, then restart the game after changing it.
Should I unlink my Activision account to disable crossplay?
No. The documented account guidance does not establish unlinking as a crossplay workaround. Use the supported game, Xbox PC or console privacy control for your platform instead.
Does the Black Ops 6 menu path work in Black Ops 7?
It is not established. The official Black Ops 7 information confirms crossplay and cross-progression but does not provide disable instructions. Check the current Black Ops 7 settings or support documentation.
The Bottom Line
For a supported console mode, use Options → Settings → Account & Network and set the mode-specific crossplay control to OFF. Use Ranked Crossplay for Black Ops 6 Ranked or Warzone Ranked, and Multiplayer Unranked Crossplay for unranked Multiplayer. Microsoft Store and Xbox PC app players must block You can join cross-network play in Xbox privacy settings. Steam and Battle.net players cannot disable Black Ops 6 crossplay according to Activision. Expect a possible matchmaking-quality trade-off, and do not assume a Ranked or Black Ops 6 setting applies to every other Call of Duty playlist or release.
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