Summary
Over the last several years, a handful of debates have dominated discussion within theCall of Dutycommunity. One common talking point continues to be the issues with yearly releases, while the seasonal format andfocus onCall of Duty: Warzonehas been similarly divisive. An increase in over-the-top crossover skins and a lowered number of realistic military outfits has been another sore spot for some players, as has a reliance on nostalgia via map remasters. However, nothing can compare to skill-based matchmaking when it comes to angering fans, though it may unfortunately be here to stay.
Even those with just a passing interest inCall of Dutywill have likely heard about all the discussion regarding skill-based matchmaking. For some players,Call of Duty’s SBMM has gotten so severe that it has caused them to stop playing the newer games, as it prevents them from finding enjoyable matches when they are grouped with their skilled (or unskilled) friends. Despite players pushing for strict SBMM to be limited to ranked play, Activision seems unwilling to budge, so it is hard to imagine much changing withCall of Duty2024.
WhileCall of Dutyrecently discussed SBMM openly with the community for the first time, fans are still waiting for deeper information on the system to be shared. Even with this extra transparency, players are unlikely to budge on wanting big changes to be made.
Why Call of Duty 2024 is Highly Unlikely to Abandon SBMM
Call of Duty Has Embraced Strict SBMM For Some Time Now
As mentioned inCall of Duty’s recent SBMM statement, the franchise’s approach to the feature has evolved over the past decade, and its goal is to find the best matches for players based on connection, search times, and, of course, skill. However, the community has conducted its own tests to come to the conclusion thatCall of Dutymatchmaking is really about engagement. Essentially, players who have a good game will have a bad game after, and vice versa. This will keep them playing for longer, as they will either want to continue on hoping that their next game will be just as good, or hoping to end on a less frustrating match.
With this engagement-based approach, players feel as if they can never have several good games in a row, and that they constantly need to try hard just to reach a 1.0 K/D in a lot of their lobbies. Essentially, old school players want casualCall of Dutymultiplayer experiences again, with sweaty matches kept toCoD’s ranked play. However, asCall of Dutycontinues to embrace a casual audience through free-to-play games likeCall of Duty: Warzone, it makes sense from a business perspective that Activision would want to protect its less-skilled players so that they can have some fun in the modern games. While veteran fans may hate SBMM, newer or less-skilled players could actually appreciate it, and with the series catering to those fans for years now, standing by the newer system seems likely.
Call of Duty 2024 Can Still Find a Healthy Middle Ground Between SBMM and Fun Matches
WithCall of Dutyreally leaning into engagement-based matchmaking sinceCall of Duty: Modern Warfare2019, meaning that five years’ worth ofCoDgames have had stricter SBMM, it is likely the only format that some younger players have ever known. As such, Activision could theoretically leave the system unchanged, and with more and more new players embracingCoDas the older crowd moves on, the calls for change could eventually fade away. However, there is still a way to please everyone.
Back in 2020, a Treyarch developer said thatallCoDgames have had some form of skill-based matchmaking, meaning that even the fan favorite games likeBlack Ops 2which encouraged players to punch down on “Christmas noobs” had certain systems in place to keep things fair. This was quite the revelation at the time, and it could hold the answer to the series’ SBMM problem. Perhaps Activision could look to both newer releases and theCoDgames where SBMM was not so hotly debated to craft a better system that feels fair, but less strict overall. Players hardly complained about SBMM in the olderCoDgames despite it supposedly existing, so returning to that formula instead of the current engagement-based style could help. Fans should absolutely expectCall of Dutyto have SBMM going forward, but they can also hope that it will feel less severe than it has inMW3and other recentCoDgames.
