Call of Duty: WWII PC Edition Taken Offline Amid Reports of RCE Exploit

If you were looking forward to diving into Sledgehammer Games' 2017 title, Call of Duty: WWII, on PC via Game Pass or the Microsoft Store this holiday weekend, you're sadly out of luck. The Call of Duty team has confirmed that the PC edition of WWII has been taken offline following "reports of an issue."

However, the situation is far more complex than a simple server maintenance issue. The game has become infested with RCE hackers, disruptive players who can utilize the exploit to execute code on another player's PC remotely without permission. This allows the hacker to install malware and malicious code that could result in data breaches and other security vulnerabilities.

Players began reporting the exploit on social media around July 2, shortly after the servers for the game went live, following maintenance on multiple Call of Duty titles. The hacking of older titles is an open-air secret among the Call of Duty community, with players often avoiding the games on Steam. While Activision has taken a unique approach of keeping mainline Call of Duty titles servers open indefinitely, the teams do little to maintain the safety of those servers once they move on to the next premium release.

However, the move to include these older COD titles on Xbox and PC Game Pass has led to an injection of new and returning players to the franchise. Many of them felt lured in by the perceived safety of older titles being backed by Microsoft (who now owns Call of Duty's publisher, Activision). Unfortunately, this perception is not entirely unfounded, as RCE exploits are only a problem for the sector of Game Pass subscribers who are logging into the Windows edition of Call of Duty: WWII.

Xbox consoles operate on a modified Windows kernel that is more limited than its Windows 11 cousin, and therefore prevents RCEs from being as effective as a hacking tool. However, this does not make the situation any less concerning for players who have already launched the game over the last few days while it was available.

The Call of Duty team's post on their official social media accounts only reported that the game was being taken offline to "investigate reports of an issue." There was no acknowledgment of the RCE exploit or the potential harm to players who had already launched the game over the last few days while it was available. This lack of transparency has left many in the community feeling frustrated and concerned about the team's handling of the situation.

With Xbox expected to add more of Call of Duty's catalog to the Xbox and PC Game Pass libraries over time, there is concern from the community that additional older games' ongoing exploitation will not be patched before those titles join the service. This could potentially expose large swaths of new players to hackers with no warning.

A Word of Caution for Game Pass Subscribers

If you're a subscriber to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, be aware that your experience may vary depending on which platform you play on. While the RCE exploit is less of an issue on Xbox consoles due to their modified Windows kernel, it's still essential to exercise caution when playing older Call of Duty titles.

A Silver Lining for Xbox Gamers

Despite the inconvenience caused by the game's removal from Game Pass, there are still ways to enjoy Call of Duty: WWII on Xbox. And if you're feeling nostalgic, you can always revisit some classic Black Ops titles with double XP bonuses.

Supporting Our Community

We'll continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, our resident Call of Duty know-it-all, Cole, is here to guide you through the world of budget pen displays – a topic that's sure to spark some interesting conversations!