Players returning to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PlayStation are running into a serious problem. The game's multiplayer servers on PS4 and PS5 have reportedly been targeted by a hacker who has been entering online lobbies and changing player accounts. The issue comes only a few weeks after the classic shooter was unexpectedly released on the PlayStation Store.

Black Ops 2 originally launched on the PS3 in 2012, but PlayStation players have had limited access to the game on newer consoles for years. Since the PS4 and PS5 do not support native PS3 backward compatibility, players who wanted to revisit the original Black Ops games on PlayStation had to find other options.

That changed on July 9, when Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 were released as direct PlayStation ports. Iron Galaxy Studios handled the ports while working with Activision and Treyarch. Both games are playable on PS4 and PS5 and support matchmaking between the two PlayStation generations, although they do not offer full cross-play with Xbox or PC.

The return of these classic games has been popular, but the online experience has quickly become a major concern. According to reports, the multiplayer infrastructure used by Black Ops 2 has not received the kind of major updates that would be expected from a modern online game. Much of the system still appears to be based on technology from the game's original 2012 release.

That has reportedly allowed a hacker using the names "C Isn't Sharp" and "Who Isn't Sharp?" to interfere with player accounts. Several players claim that the hacker has entered their lobbies and changed important account information.

Some affected players have reportedly seen their levels or Prestige ranks altered without their permission. Others have said that their games began crashing afterward, leaving them unable to properly return to multiplayer matches.

The problem has also affected well-known content creators. Twitch and YouTube streamer TimTheTatman recently shared a clip from one of his broadcasts showing his account suddenly being changed to level 55 and Prestige 16.

The strange part is that Prestige 16 does not actually exist in Black Ops 2. The unexpected change made it clear that someone had interfered with the account rather than the player simply earning a new rank.

TimTheTatman later posted about the incident on social media and tagged the Call of Duty development teams in an attempt to draw attention to the problem. Other players responded by criticizing the hacker and sharing their own experiences with the issue.

Despite the problems affecting multiplayer, the PlayStation versions of the older Call of Duty games appear to be performing well commercially. Both Black Ops and Black Ops 2 are priced at $40 on the PlayStation Store, yet the second game reportedly attracted more than five million PSN players from the United States.

The popularity was particularly noticeable when the ports first launched. Black Ops 2 reportedly managed to attract more players on PS5 than several newer Call of Duty titles, including Black Ops 7 and Warzone, showing just how much interest there still is in the older game.

The current situation is frustrating for players who were excited to return to one of the most popular Call of Duty multiplayer experiences. The fact that the game has attracted such a large audience also makes the security problems more concerning.

So far, Activision, Treyarch and Iron Galaxy Studios have not publicly commented on the reported attacks or explained whether a fix is being prepared. The developers are currently focused heavily on the upcoming open beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, but players will be hoping the older games are not forgotten.

With so many people now playing Black Ops 2 on modern PlayStation consoles, addressing the security problems could be important for keeping the game's revived community active. Until then, players may have to be cautious when entering multiplayer lobbies and hope that the developers take action soon.