Is SBMM holding Modern Warfare 3 from being a great CoD game? Possibilities explored

Skill-based matchmaking, popularly known as SBMM, has been a major topic of discussion amidst the Modern Warfare 3 community. MW3 has, for the most part, provided exactly what the Call of Duty community had been demanding from developers. With the reintroduction of popular movement mechanics, great weapons, impeccable weapon balancing, and more, players have had a grand time playing Multiplayer in the latest CoD title.

However, players have been gravely critical of the role of SBMM in hosting matchmaking for Multiplayer. Most players believe that other than Ranked Play, casual multiplayer playlists should merely be a free-for-all amongst players of different capacities.

For a detailed brief on how SBMM affects gameplay in MW3, read below.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the views of the writer.

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Is SBMM ruining Modern Warfare 3?

Matchmaking process in MW3 (Image via Activision)

Before we dive deep into how SBMM affects Modern Warfare 3, let's get to know what this feature entails. As per the latest Call of Duty blog, developers say that:

"Skill is determined based on a player’s overall performance: kills, deaths, wins, losses, and more, including mode selection, and recent matches as an overall metric across all Multiplayer experiences."

Essentially, a player's statistics are constantly being tracked and updated in the system, and as you queue for a game in Multiplayer mode, the game proceeds to match you amongst players of similar caliber who share the same or similar metrics as you.

A mechanic like Skill-based matchmaking ensures that players of absurd skill disparities are not paired together in a given match, allowing for a more balanced display of performance and a better spread of metrics.

However, while this feature does ensure much more balanced gameplay experiences for players in Ranked Playlists, the community believes that a constant match-up with players of similar skill makes playing multiplayer a very tedious job.

The idea of kicking back and possibly relaxing while playing multiplayer simply drops out of the question because of how tough the lobbies generally seem to be, especially for players of higher calibers.

That being said, having some limitations on the skill disparity across the players in a match allows players to thrive in a healthier gaming ecosystem. While high-skilled players seek a more lighthearted experience, on the other end of the spectrum, lower-skilled players tend to quit the game upon suffering from consistent losing streaks.

With a mechanic such as Skill-based matchmaking in Modern Warfare 3, players are dealt with a balanced ecosystem, allowing players of different capacities to thrive in their respective skill levels.

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For other articles related to Skill-based matchmaking in Modern Warfare 3, check the links below:

ExoGhost's SBMM experience || Turning off Skill-based matchmaking in MW3 || Activision addresses Skill-based matchmaking || Do Warzone and MW3 have SBMM?