Call of Duty explains why SBMM is in Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty developers have finally broken their silence on the controversial Skill-Based Matchmaking system in Modern Warfare 3.

The debate around Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been a hot topic among players. Since the game’s launch on November 10, 2023, many have expressed dissatisfaction with its impact on gameplay.

SBMM is designed to match players with others of similar skill levels, aiming to create a balanced and fair environment. However, this well-intentioned mechanic has led to frustration, especially among higher-skilled players who find themselves constantly in highly competitive lobbies, making the gaming experience less enjoyable.

On January 29, 2024, the developers finally addressed these concerns in a comprehensive blog post, providing insights into the inner workings of their matchmaking system.

Late last year the team committed to a conversation with the community about Matchmaking.

Today’s matchmaking intel is intended to kick off that dialogue and is a new beginning for what the team hope will be an ongoing conversation about matchmaking, sharing the process and learnings with… pic.twitter.com/Vg3TSJbwUI

The post highlights various aspects of the matchmaking process, emphasizing that while skill is a factor, it’s not the dominant one.

“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,” the blog post reads.

Connection quality, time to match, playlist diversity, and several other elements are considered to form lobbies that offer stable and competitive gameplay.