Call of Duty

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Skill-Based Matchmaking3 min read

Long before the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, many players were curious to know if the title would feature Skill-Based Match Making (SBMM). If you aren’t unaware of this, it’s a system that puts certain players together in lobbies based on their skill level. The main goal of this system is to create balanced matches and to eliminate any biased or unfair play in the game.

Unfortunately, it did spark some controversy among the players, with many not liking it for multiple reasons, such as its huge effect on the casual gaming experience. In this article, we’ve compiled all of the information regarding skill-based matchmaking and how it works in Black Ops 6, so it’ll prepare you for the next time you dive into the first-person shooter.

Does Black Ops 6 Feature SBMM?

Similar to plenty of other Call of Duty games, Black Ops 6 also features SBMM. With the Black Ops 6 SBMM feature, players can compete against gamers possessing a similar skill level in the title’s Multiplayer mode. Call of Duty isn’t the only franchise in gaming history that has utilized this particular matchmaking strategy. Multiple battle royale video games like PUBG, Fortnite, and Apex Legends use skill-based matchmaking to put gamers against each other in a match.

Since it’s such a popular feature, you might be forced to wonder why so many Call of Duty players aren’t such huge fans of SBMM. One of the main reasons behind this would be the inconsistent match quality. Players have often reported the fact that they found themselves put in lobbies that had far better opponents after doing well in only a handful of matches.

The result of this is that it leads to a number of frustrating and infuriating losses for players. In addition to this, SBMM potentially blocks the overall gaming experience by putting skill first over connection quality. However, Activision has repeatedly claimed that skill isn’t the dominant component. Alternatively, the matchmaking system in Black Ops 6 considers multiple factors.

This includes connection, input device, audio, platform, and time to match. The publisher also confirmed that the skill ratings differ across every core multiplayer mode, so coming to the top in one mode doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be successful in the other. This means that a player’s performance in all of the modes is evaluated independently, making sure that the matchmaking experience is suited to their particular abilities in every aspect of the game.

In conclusion, Activision has made sure to incorporate a skill-based matchmaking system in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 that offers a fair chance to every player on the battlefield. Not only this, but the developers were also taking feedback quite seriously during the beta phases, making any improvements to the matchmaking system. A good way of getting away from SBMM is by using Black Ops 6 bot lobbies. These lobbies put you in a game with only bots so you can have a relaxing game.