There have been no shortage of rumors regarding the next release in the Call of Duty series. Thus far, potential settings have included the Korean War, World War 2, the future, and an alternate history. Leaks about the game’s engine and integration with Call of Duty: Warzone have also cropped up, while Sledgehammer games has been positioned as the game’s likely developer. Amongst all these rumors, though, none have gotten the community as riled up as the potential return of skill-based matchmaking (SBMM).
The two most recent Call of Duty games have caused community outrage due to their SBMM systems. Considered by most to be too strong, some believe that this focus on fairness in every single match is ruining the fun of the franchise. At the same time, SBMM exists for a reason, and given the franchise’s continued success, it may not be angering as many players as it seems. As such, there will be some obvious pros and cons if the balanced matchmaking system appears once again with Call of Duty 2021.
With Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War recently confirmed to be one of the best-selling games of all time, it is impossible to deny how massive the Call of Duty player base is. Many casual gamers look straight to the franchise as their game of choice, loading up a Call of Duty title for a few matches every so often. As such, these players lack the skill of those playing Call of Duty religiously, meaning that they would have no chance against experienced players. In turn, SBMM is used, with its main purpose being to give lesser-skilled players an equally engaging online experience.
The other thing to keep in mind about SBMM, at least within Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, is the way in which it is handled. The system is designed around keeping Call of Duty fans hooked, with players receiving matches and lobby placements based on their previous performance. For example, players that have a rough match will have an easier match afterwards, with the reverse happening in a scenario where a player dominates. With the unparalleled success of the recent releases in the Call of Duty franchise, this SBMM setup is clearly doing its job.
For all the anger toward SBMM, it does succeed at its main purpose. Players of all skill levels can have decent matches, while the system gives those that struggle a reason to say, “one more game.” Further, Treyarch has confirmed that SBMM has been in every Call of Duty title, and while some systems are clearly stricter than others, this makes it unlikely that the mechanic will be going anywhere soon. With such a huge audience, Call of Duty’s player base is comprised of a mixed bag of gamers, and the argument that those of all skill levels should be allowed to have fun is sound.
What makes the SBMM debate so interesting is the fact that there is so much evidence for the system being a negative. For starters, matchmaking being based around skill means that top tier players have nobody to match with. As a result, they are often stuck with an entire team of low-level players that they need to carry every single game, which often leads to losses and unenjoyable matches. While this impacts a smaller number of players, punishing those that are great at the game is a major issue.
Further, every single match being balanced is not necessarily fun. While all players can do fine with SBMM, this inevitably leads to most games feeling like more of the same. Players will be close to a 1.0 kill/death ratio every game, trading wins and losses regularly. No matches standout for a player doing particularly well or particularly bad, as the system ultimately leads to only slight variations of “okay” games.
While Call of Duty fans are undeniably nostalgic for older titles, one of the things players loved most about them is the random lobbies that were offered. Players could play several games where they dominate their opponents or match up against full clans in a string of losing efforts. While not always fair, this unexpectedness ensured that games were fun and exciting.
Aside from predictability and punishing games for high-level players, a big flaw of SBMM is its effects on ping. Proven to hurt connection in favor of balanced matches, players may find themselves lagging more often than ever before inside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This discovery has proven to be the last straw for players that dislike SBMM, as calls to remove it have been seen more now than before. With arguments that the system rewards bad players instead of pushing them to improve through tougher games, those that dislike the mechanic are familiar with all the cons.
If Call of Duty 2021 does indeed have SBMM, this heated discussion around how it is handled will surely pick up once again. While Activision is in a tough spot, a proper solution has been suggested by players several times now. When most fans that are familiar with this issue are asked about how to fix it, the usual solution that is recommended is to include modes with and without SBMM. Essentially, ranked play should have the system while public matches should not.
If such a system were added, Call of Duty could give players the best of both worlds, pleasing both sides of the fan base. Instead of every single match seeing players duking it out in intense games, casual play could offer the mixed bag that it used to. For those that want fair matches, playing Call of Duty 2021’s version of League Play could offer that. Here, lesser skilled players could always be matches against lesser skilled players, with the same happening for those of a higher skill level. Restoring a bit of the randomness to Call of Duty, keeping SBMM to a minimum in public matches would allow players to see blowouts once again.
Part of what makes Call of Duty multiplayer so fun is how good it feels to dominate online, as calling in high-tier scorestreaks always feels great. SBMM makes moments like this much rarer, though, as players are always facing opponents that match their own skillsets as closely as possible. While this system does exist for a reason, it does not need to be active 24/7. Giving players the choice of playing games determined by SBMM is the right move, and if Call of Duty 2021 has a system in place that does this, it could dodge lots of unnecessary controversy. Skill-based matchmaking is not fully good, nor is it fully bad. As such, it should only be used when it makes sense.
Call of Duty 2021 is rumored to be in development.
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