Elden Ring having skill-based matchmaking can be detrimental to its PVP experience

Elden Ring is the latest From Software game set to introduce skill-based matchmaking for its PVP mode.

This means players with similar skill levels will get pitched against one another, thereby making the experience a lot smoother for the overall player base. Apart from that, as per the article in Play Magazine, it seems that a social hub will also be established within Elden Ring, where players can interact with each other.

They adjusted matchmaking to make it more “skill based”, idk what that means but I’d guess it limits the people you can match against a lot more now

— NYSL Bobby (@RealBobbyPlays) July 29, 2021

This will create an experience like the one that exists in Destiny 2 and will help bring players together. While there is no official confirmation from From Software, Miyazaki mentioned it in his interviews.

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Is skill-based matchmaking the right route to take in Elden Ring?

The concept of skill-based matchmaking exists within competitive games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Valorant, and Dota 2. Players are matched based on their matchmaking rating or MMR, which is basically an identification of player skill and quality.

This ensures that bronze and silver players will never be matched against Diamond or Challenger-level players. However, something like that can exist because of the massive player bases those games host. Thousands of players exist within the bronze and gold lobbies. Therefore, queue times are much shorter.

However, queue times in Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger lobbies in League of Legends are often long due to the smaller player base. Elden Ring will be a game with a niche audience. Even though it will sell millions of copies worldwide, the chances of having a very PVP-focused player base are meager.

Elden Ring To Feature PvP, Online Multiplayer, Souls Series Class System PvP and multiplayer aren't the only features that will make a comeback in Elden Ring, as the game will feature the same character creation and class system seen in the Souls series.#Eldenring pic.twitter.com/7fhepL82YV

— Gaming Updates and Countdowns I Free 🇵🇸 (@Onion00048) March 4, 2021

This means that when skill-based matchmaking is introduced, the queue times are going to be super long. Apart from that, Elden Ring being a single-player game, will find it hard to introduce a ranking system. While Miyazaki has said that various barriers relating to PVP will be removed, it will still be hard.

Apart from that, steps are also being taken to prevent invasions from ruining the game for inexperienced or casual players. This will also affect the overall PVP player base because the total number of active PVP players will be reduced due to skill-based matchmaking. Thereby, invasions will also be significantly reduced and ultimately lead to poor PVP experience.

It is yet to be seen on the steps that From Software takes. However, if they are planning to introduce skill-based matchmaking, then the chances are that they will end up hurting the PVP player base of Elden Ring quite a lot.

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Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.