Call of Duty®: Black Ops III

Black Ops 1, Black Ops 2, Black Ops 3 (Steam Versions) I want to start by saying this clearly: I love Black Ops 1, Black Ops 2, and Black Ops 3. These are some of my favourite games ever made, and that’s exactly why this review hurts to write. Despite how iconic these titles are, the Steam versions are not safe to play online in 2026. All three rely on peer‑to‑peer networking, and their security systems are outdated to the point where players are exposed to serious risks — including Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities. RCE isn’t just “cheating” or “modding.” It’s a critical security flaw that can allow attackers to run arbitrary code on your PC simply by being in the same lobby. Some server‑side fixes were deployed years ago, but they were incomplete, inconsistent, or never applied across all titles. As a result: Public lobbies remain unsafe Malicious hosts can manipulate your client Your IP is exposed by design RCE vectors still exist in certain versions Cheaters can inject scripts directly into matches These games deserve better. Fans deserve better. It’s heartbreaking that three of the most beloved Call of Duty titles ever made have been left in a state where playing online is a genuine security risk. Until proper, full security patches are released, I can’t recommend playing BO1, BO2, or BO3 online. Offline only — and even that feels like a sad compromise for games that were built around multiplayer.