Can You Get Banned for Modding in BO2 Zombies?

Yes, you absolutely can get banned for using mods or hacking in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Zombies. According to Activision‘s strict enforcement policy, "Any user who runs a modified version of game code or uses a modified game profile is subject to penalty." The first offense is often a permanent ban from online play, stats and emblem reset, and blocked from leaderboards.

I‘ve put over 10 days of playtime into BO2 zombies, unlocked every Easter egg, and love creating customized mods and maps. So I‘ve researched this issue extensively and want to provide a detailed guide on the risks, consequences, and safest approaches to modding.

Overview of Activision‘s Ban Policy

Activision maintains a zero tolerance policy towards hacking and modding in online modes of Call of Duty games. Their policy states:

"Any user who runs a modified version of game code or uses a modified game profile is subject to penalty. First offense: User will be permanently banned from playing the game online, will have their stats & emblems reset, and will be blocked permanently from appearing in leaderboards."

Subsequent offenses can result in full account bans. All online modes are monitored by anti-cheat systems that issue bans in periodic "ban waves." Even being in a lobby with modders can trigger a ban.

Anti-Cheat Detection Methods

Treyarch utilizes several anti-cheat systems to detect unauthorized mods and scripts:

• PunkBuster: Scans game memory for cheat signatures and unauthorized .dll injections
• Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC): Scans executables for manipulation and monitors abnormal stats
• Automated statistic monitoring: Bans accounts with impossible zombie kill counts, rounds reached, etc.

These systems run periodically in the background, so bans are not always instantaneous. However detection is largely unavoidable over time if mods are used in online modes.

Ban Rates in BO2 Zombies

According to community reports, ban waves have impacted 3-5% of the total Black Ops 2 player base in recent years. However the majority are from the competitive multiplayer mode rather than zombies.

Exact zombie modding ban rates are unclear, but estimated to be less than 1% of all players. Private custom zombie lobbies generally have lower ban rates as well.

Safest Way to Mod BO2 Zombies

The only safe way to mod BO2 without risk of penalties is solo offline play. When not connected to the internet, anti-cheat systems cannot monitor your game.

However, the game requires periodic re-authentication which involves connecting online. So internet access is still periodically required, introducing some minimal risk.

Here are the ban risks for other modding situations:

Consequences of Getting Banned

If caught modding in online zombies mode, here are the typical ban consequences:

• Permanent ban from all online multiplayer modes
• Stats, levels, weapons, and emblems reset to zero
• Blocked from ranking on global leaderboards
• Possible full account ban after repeat offenses

These penalties are no joke and can erase hundreds of hours of progression. Appeal chances are very low too according to community reports.

Ethical Concerns of Zombie Mods

While modding solo games can be fun, I believe ruining public matches is unethical. Trick shots, "god mode," and XP exploits ruin the balance and enjoyment for others.

The zombie community also depends on public easter egg progress and leaderboards for motivation. So tampering with these has cascading negative effects.

My advice is to avoid modding in public online games altogether, both for ethical reasons and due to steep ban risks. Solo offline play is where you can experiment freely.

Summarizing the Key Rules

To summarize the key takeaways on safely modding BO2 zombies:

• Modding solo offline has minimal ban risk
• Modding in ANY online mode risks permanent bans
• Appeal chances are close to zero if banned
• Being in modded online lobbies also risks bans
• Resetting stats/levels, leaderboard status hurts progression

So mod at your own risk! And stay away from public online lobbies when doing so.

I hope this guide was helpful for understanding the consequences around BO2 zombies modding. Let me know if you have any other questions!