Activision finally addresses skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty

The SBMM, or skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty, has been a source of debate and criticism within the community, with discussions dating back to the release of Modern Warfare 3 in November 2023. The issue gained traction, leading to community demands for a detailed explanation of how SBMM functions. The developers expressed hesitance in providing an elaborate explanation, which further enraged many players.

On January 29, Activision finally responded to these longstanding concerns by publishing an extensive blog post that talked about the specifics of SBMM. The developers also addressed the community's frequently asked questions regarding the system.

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Skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty, explained

Many factors affect the skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty (Image via Activision)

Activision has finally revealed the secrets of the skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty. According to a recent blog post, there are several matchmaking factors in multiplayer games. These are as follows:

• Connection
• Time to Match
• Playlist Diversity
• Recent maps/modes
• Skill/Performance
• Input Device
• Platform
• Voice chat

Essentially, these are the factors that make up the SBMM system. Activision emphasizes that while player performance is indeed considered in this process, it isn't the sole factor. In fact, ping is considered the most important element in matchmaking.

"The matchmaking process seeks to reduce the overall amount of latency by prioritizing stable connections or low ping – with a shortened wait time in mind."

The CoD publisher also explained some bad habits that make longer queueing times. When players encounter excessively long wait times in a lobby, they often resort to restarting the matchmaking search. However, this action does not expedite the matchmaking process and is counterproductive.

Activision further highlighted key aspects of the matchmaking process, placing particular emphasis on skill and performance factors. Skill assessment is based on various elements of a player's overall performance, including metrics like kills, deaths, wins, losses, mode selection, and recent match history.

The CoD publisher explained that skill isn't just for finding teammates and enemies; it's important for player retention. In the blog, they said:

"Our data shows that when lower skill players are consistently on the losing end, they are likely to quit matches in progress or stop playing altogether. This has an effect on the player pool."

A smaller player pool entails longer queue times and weaker connections. This situation has the potential to create a compounding effect over time. As lower-skilled players may leave due to frustration, the remaining pool consists mostly of high-skilled players.

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Activision clarifies frequently asked SBMM-related questions

Activision remains open for further discussions on skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty (Image via Activision)

Activision further clarified some frequently asked questions in the CoD community about skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty. Here are some important points from the section:

• Player engagement (how often you play) is not considered in matchmaking.
• Matchmaking does not affect in-game elements.
• Spending money on the game does not affect matchmaking.
• Bots are not used in Multiplayer matchmaking.
• Content creators do not get special treatment in matchmaking.
• Activision has already tried removing the skill factor in matchmaking, but this produced a negative gameplay experience.

The CoD publisher stated that they are eager to communicate further about the skill-based matchmaking system in Call of Duty. The developers are expected to release a statement about the matchmaking in Ranked Play and Battle Royale later on.

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