The truth about the player matchmaking system in CoD revealed

For several years, fans have been complaining about the "smart" player matchmaking in Call of Duty's multiplayer. The system is supposed to assemble teams based on the skills of gamers, but it doesn't work as well as the audience desires. Often, inexperienced players are pitted against professionals, turning the match into a mockery of the newcomers.

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Activision has long tried not to comment on this issue, but yesterday, in their blog, the developers finally discussed how the matchmaking algorithm works. It turns out the system is not as straightforward.

We often see the community refer to our matchmaking system as Skill-based Matchmaking. Call of Duty does consider skill (or more specifically player performance) as a component, as do most in the industry, but skill is not the dominant variable. We consider and prioritize several factors to create lobbies.

Late in November of last year, the developers stated that they would address the system of fair player matchmaking. According to Activision, the SBMM system indeed exists, but it doesn't work as players think. When assembling teams, not only the playing skill is considered, but also a multitude of not-so-obvious factors.

They say that gaming skills are too vague a concept. The developers explain that if teams were to be assembled based only on playing ability, match queues would be very long.

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Many factors will be considered when forming teams, not just the level of gameplay. The system will track the active playtime of the player, their favorite modes, and even the presence of voice communication.

Activision is taking such measures to create a strong, cohesive community. They believe that sorting players solely based on skills will not foster community growth.

In concluding the post, the developers mentioned that they are considering a version of player matchmaking that does not take skills into account at all. Such a system is being tested, and Activision is considering it as an alternative option.

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