One of the biggest controversies since the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been the game’s use of Skill Based Matchmaking, or SBMM. Fans have been calling on Infinity Ward to get rid of SBMM for months now, but the studio has so far refused to do so, apparently believing the benefits of SBMM outweigh the negatives. Since the recently-released Call of Duty: Warzone is so closely related to Modern Warfare, some have worried that the new battle royale will use SBMM as well, but it appears as though that isn’t the case.
This is according to Infinity Ward co-head Patrick Kelly, who confirmed that not only does Call of Duty: Warzone not use SBMM, but no large-scale Modern Warfare game modes use the feature either. So it seems that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fans who want to play that game without SBMM can try out the Ground War game mode, though the downside to that is that it doesn’t include the most popular maps or match types.
In any case, Call of Duty: Warzone not using SBMM is likely to be received as good news by the community. This also sets it apart from other battle royale games on the market, like Apex Legends and Fortnite, and may make Call of Duty: Warzone a more appealing prospect to some players as a result.
Even though Warzone does not have SBMM, fans shouldn’t expect SBMM to be removed from the standard Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer experience. As previously noted, Infinity Ward has given no indication that has any plans to ever remove the feature.
For those wondering why SBMM in Modern Warfare is so controversial, there’s a few reasons why. It technically allows for a more “fair” online experience, as it theoretically matches players with similar skill levels together. However, issues arise when players play with friends that are not on the same skill level, and so they are matched with enemy players who are significantly better at the game. Players have also been known to abuse the SBMM system, losing on purpose so that they are paired with players of much lower skill levels. Additionally, some players want matchmaking to be done based on location instead of SBMM, as they feel it provides a smoother online experience.
Regardless, Modern Warfare SBMM is here to stay. Warzone players, however, can play without having to worry about SBMM, for the time being at least.
Call of Duty: Warzone is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
