Activision report claims players don’t hate SBMM as much as they say they do

Activision report claims players don't hate SBMM as much as they say they do

As a seasoned gamer with over a decade of experience under my belt, I must say that I am not entirely surprised by Activision‘s findings regarding skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) in Call of Duty and other first-person shooters. Although it might seem counterintuitive to many players who often complain about the system being unfair or frustrating, I have observed a different reality over the years.


In recent years, discussions among players about skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) in games like Call of Duty, Destiny, and other first-person shooters have been heated, with debates raging over fairness. Activision added more controversy to the issue, however, with a report revealing that most Call of Duty players played less without SBMM activated.

Last week, GamesIndustry.biz shared a report from Activision about SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. I was excited to read that they conducted a test back in early 2024, where they eased the restrictions on SBMM. According to the report, over 90% of Call of Duty players ended up playing less as a result. The quit rates during matches also increased by approximately 80 percent during this test. As a fan, it’s intriguing to see how these changes impacted the playerbase.

Activision report claims players don't hate SBMM as much as they say they do

Activision went on to share the conclusions it drew from the stats collected in its testing:

It appears that contrary to popular belief, many players may actually prefer SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) in first-person shooter games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, despite vocal opposition. Additionally, it’s likely that Activision will maintain this system when the game is released in October. Keep an eye out for more developments on this topic.

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2024-07-29 23:57