Activision has released new backend security updates for Call of Duty: Black Ops II on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 following reports of hackers damaging player progression data.

The update is intended to improve multiplayer security and restore accounts affected by incorrect Prestige levels and other unauthorized profile changes.

Players have recently reported being forced into invalid or unintended Prestige states after entering compromised public lobbies.

Some affected accounts were reportedly pushed into Prestige 16, a rank that is not part of Black Ops II’s normal multiplayer progression system.

Other players said their saved rank, level, statistics or unlocks were changed without their permission.

Activision says its systems are now reviewing accounts with incorrect Prestige levels and applying updated account data.

During the restoration process, some players may briefly receive an in-game ban notice.

The company says that message does not necessarily mean enforcement action has been taken against the player.

Instead, the temporary notice may appear while the servers replace the damaged profile with older account information stored before the unauthorized changes occurred.

Players who receive the notice should close or restart the game and reconnect to Black Ops II.

When the recovery process has completed successfully, the restored account data should appear after reconnecting.

Activision says players whose accounts return normally do not need to take any further action.

The restoration may not return every account to the exact level, Prestige or statistics it had immediately before the attack.

Black Ops II’s server recovery system uses the most recently available saved backup when profile information has been modified outside normal game mechanics.

That means some legitimate progress earned after the backup was created could be missing when an account is restored.

The update follows several weeks of reports involving modified Black Ops II lobbies on the newly released PlayStation ports.

Players described hackers applying unwanted ranks, changing statistics and leaving some accounts unable to access multiplayer normally.

Community reports drew particular attention to accounts being placed at Prestige 16 and Level 55.

The invalid rank could reportedly cause profile-loading failures, repeated error messages or an inability to reconnect to online multiplayer.

Activision had not previously announced a dedicated restoration process for the newer Black Ops II Prestige attacks.

The latest backend update is the company’s first public confirmation that account recovery work is underway for incorrect Prestige levels on PlayStation.

Activision’s Black Ops II security policy prohibits modified game code, manipulated profiles, stat changes and attempts to alter another player’s progression.

Players who intentionally use modified profiles or hacking tools may receive permanent online bans, profile resets and removal from leaderboards.

The company’s statement distinguishes those enforcement actions from the temporary notice that innocent players may see during automated account restoration.

Players should still avoid suspicious private matches and leave public lobbies immediately when impossible ranks, unusual messages or sudden progression changes appear.

Anyone whose account remains broken after restarting and reconnecting should document the problem and contact Activision Support.

Reports should include the affected PlayStation ID, the approximate time of the incident and screenshots showing the incorrect rank or error message.

Players should not give their Activision or PlayStation login details to anyone offering unofficial account-repair services.

The backend update is now active, but Activision has not said how long it will take to review and restore every affected Black Ops II account.