Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fans have long suspected that a multiplayer shooter would Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) could be used. The performance-based allocation in matches should therefore ensure that players with similar skills always play together. The SBMM also claims to have verified a Youtuber in CoD: MW.
Officially, developer Infinity Ward has so far been reluctant to comment on whether such a system is in use at all. Now the former studio boss of CoD WW2 developer Sledgehammer Games, Michael Condrey, said on Twitter surprisingly clear on the subject:
Ask ATVI. Never directed into COD from me. Analytics, SB match making, monetization, dedi server coverage, etc all driven from ATVI central tech and production teams. Fustratingly little influence on those corp decisions despite their impact on our games and the COD community.
– Michael Condrey (@MichaelCondrey) March 27, 2020
Condrey writes:
"Ask ATVI (publisher Activision's ticker symbol). I never commissioned (skill-based matchmaking). SBMM, monetization, coverage of dedicated servers etc. are all controlled by technology and production teams at Activision. (I had) frustratingly little influence on these company decisions, despite their huge impact on our games and the CoD community. "
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Why is SBMM so unpopular?
We had already reported extensively on the possible skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Become a player merged into a multiplayer lobby based on their skills. Critics are certain that matchmaking in CoD: Modern Warfare uses an algorithm to always put teams together in such a way that players with similar skill levels always compete against each other.
According to critics, this is the reason why the Matches always feel difficult and you don't feel any real progress in terms of your own abilities. If you improve your skills, CoD: MW automatically brings the players together with also stronger opponents, at least if SBMM actually exists in this form.
Although the statements of the former Sledgehammer boss are not an explicit confirmation of the presence of SBMM in CoD: Modern Warfare, they are in line with the past. We have asked Activision for an opinion and will update this message when we receive a response.
