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Call of Duty SBMM Controversy: Decoding the Debate and Future

Last Updated: November 4, 2025

Call of Duty gameplay showcasing the SBMM debate.

The debate is as old as the modern franchise itself, a passionate, multi-year conflict waged not on digital battlefields, but on forums, social media, and in party chats. We’re talking, of course, about skill-based matchmaking (SBMM). For years, the Call of Duty community has been locked in a dispute over its implementation, and with recent titles like *Modern Warfare III* and the immense anticipation for Treyarch's *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6*, the discussion has reached a critical boiling point.

What was once a whispered complaint has evolved into a central grievance for a significant portion of the player base. While developer Activision long remained silent on the specifics of its matchmaking algorithm, mounting pressure finally led to an unprecedented reveal, giving players a look behind the curtain. But has that transparency solved the problem, or just added fuel to the fire?

The Great SBMM Debate: A Primer

For the uninitiated, skill-based matchmaking is a system designed to create balanced lobbies by matching players of similar performance levels. In theory, it’s a sound concept. It protects new and less-skilled players from being relentlessly dominated by veterans, ensuring they have a chance to learn the game and have fun. Proponents argue that it keeps matches competitive and engaging for everyone.

However, critics—a vocal and growing contingent—argue that its aggressive application in casual, unranked playlists has several major drawbacks:

  • The "Sweat" Factor: Every match feels like a high-stakes tournament final. For players who perform well, the system quickly places them into increasingly difficult lobbies, making it feel impossible to have a relaxed or casual gameplay session.
  • Stifled Creativity: The intense competition pressures players to use only the most powerful "meta" weapons and strategies to keep up, discouraging experimentation with different loadouts.
  • Connection Compromises: The most significant technical complaint is that a strict SBMM system will prioritize finding a "perfect" skill match over a strong connection. This can result in players being matched across vast geographical distances, leading to high latency, lag, and a poor gameplay experience.
  • Punishing Improvement: The system can feel like it punishes players for getting better. A few good games can lead to a string of brutally difficult matches, creating a frustrating "yo-yo" effect on performance.

Activision Finally Breaks the Silence

For years, the inner workings of Call of Duty's matchmaking were a black box. But in early 2024, developer Sledgehammer Games, on behalf of Call of Duty studios, published a detailed blog post that finally shed light on their methodology.

They confirmed that "skill is a component" but not the only one. According to the developers, the matchmaking system weighs eight key factors when building a lobby:

  1. Connection: Stated as the most critical element.
  2. Time to Match: The system aims to get players into games quickly.
  3. Playlist Diversity: Keeping lobbies from becoming stale.
  4. Recent Maps/Modes: Tries to avoid putting you in the same map/mode combo repeatedly.
  5. Skill/Performance: A major factor, used to create the competitive matches players experience.
  6. Platform: PC, Xbox, PlayStation.
  7. Input Device: Controller or mouse and keyboard.
  8. Voice Chat: Enabled or disabled.

Activision directly addressed the community's terminology, confirming that their "skill" metric is a measurement of overall performance (kills, deaths, wins, losses, etc.). They also debunked several community theories, stating that the system does not influence in-game elements like hit registration or aim assist based on performance, and that spending money on store bundles provides no gameplay advantage in matchmaking.

While this transparency was a welcome first step, for many players it simply confirmed their long-held suspicions: skill is a heavily weighted factor in every single public match, a reality that remains the core of the community's frustration.

The Community's Dream: A Permanent "Open Moshpit"

In the face of this reality, a consistent solution has been proposed by the community: a dedicated, permanent playlist with significantly reduced SBMM. This hypothetical "Open Moshpit" or "Casual" playlist would be a direct answer to player feedback, offering an experience reminiscent of older Call of Duty titles.

The philosophy behind such a mode would be to re-prioritize the matchmaking factors:

  • Connection is King: The system's primary goal would be to find the lowest-ping lobby available, full stop.
  • Speed and Variety: With fewer skill constraints, lobbies would form almost instantly.
  • Wildcard Lobbies: The skill level in any given match would vary wildly. One game you might dominate, the next you might get crushed, and many would be somewhere in between. This unpredictability is precisely what many veteran players miss.

This wouldn't mean eliminating SBMM entirely. It is essential for ranked and competitive modes like *Ranked Play* or *Warzone's* competitive tiers. The request isn't to kill SBMM, but to give it a dedicated home, allowing the standard multiplayer playlists to be a more relaxed and connection-focused environment.

The Future of Matchmaking in Black Ops 6

With Treyarch at the helm for *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6*, all eyes are on the next installment. The studio is known for its responsive approach to community feedback, and the hope is that they will finally address the matchmaking issue head-on.

The success of a Call of Duty title is measured not just in launch day sales, but in its ability to retain players for the entire year. The constant intensity of the current matchmaking system is a frequently cited cause of player burnout. If Treyarch were to introduce an experimental low-SBMM playlist, it could be a game-changer, signaling a major shift in Activision's multiplayer philosophy. For the millions of players gearing up for the next fight, it's more than just a feature request—it's a chance to make Call of Duty feel fun and varied again.