Activision The researchers secretly disabled skill-based matchmaking. call of duty It’s multiplayer, but “in the end, everyone ended up hating it.”
The Call of Duty publisher recently released a comprehensive 25-page paper taking an in-depth look at Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM), the sometimes-controversial system designed to pair players with opponents of a similar skill level in multiplayer lobbies, and the company has decided that it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep SBMM intact.
of “Matchmaking Series: The Role of Skill in Matchmaking” Paper “While skill is one of many factors in matchmaking, it is not the driving force behind Call of Duty’s matchmaking system,” they confirm. However, during the investigation process, it appears that when Activision “secretly and gradually turned off SBMM to monitor retention,” “everyone seemed to hate it, leading to more quits, less play, and more negative outbursts.”
“While playing against better opponents may make players more skilled over time, our testing found that suffering significant losses in matches actually leads players to quit matches in progress or stop playing multiplayer,” Activision explained.
All evidence points to SBMM being here to stay in the long term, as Activision believes that turning it on will allow the vast majority of players to participate in “all parts of core multiplayer Call of Duty game design.” In any case, the company is “considering a single core multiplayer playlist that doesn’t use skill as a factor in matchmaking,” but “past testing has revealed that low- and mid-skill players are unlikely to participate in such a playlist.”
Activision found that SBMM was creating a game where “players can meaningfully contribute to their team not just through winning, but through their personal records and accomplishments.” This system also avoids the frustration of constantly “losing games by large margins.” Large margins usually result in players being dropped mid-game, which “negatively impacts the experience for players of all skill levels.” It’s no fun to play against a team that’s overpowered and dropping out mid-game. Basically, it’s even less fun to be on the other side. Activision is considering a similar experiment later this year, so it’s not settled yet.
Activision Blizzard is reportedly already working on games with AI, having quietly sold AI-generated microtransactions in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
