The matchmaking of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and CoD in general is constantly criticized: Keywords “SBMM” – skill-based matchmaking. But what is it actually? And can it be bypassed? MeinMMO shows you the details.
When it comes to the term “SBMM”, many CoD players’ neck hairs stand up. It is a type of matchmaking where particularly the own performance is in the foreground. So values like:
- Kills / Deaths ratio
- Headshot rate
- Wins / Losses ratio
However, these are just some of the factors that play a role in assembling matches in Call of Duty.
Here you can find more background information about matchmaking, what problems players see, and what shady tricks some players use to bypass the system.
Here you can watch the trailer of Season 2 of CoD Warzone 2:
SBMM – Criticism of Matchmaking
What is the problem with SBMM? Call of Duty has been facing a lot of criticism from players for several years. The SBMM would be too “strict” in normal matches – it would focus too much on performance.
As an example, it is often mentioned that after a really good round, you immediately get matched with better players and lose 5 matches in a row.
Many veterans claim that the system in earlier CoD titles brought a wider range of players together – from beginners, over the casual gamers to the wannabe professionals. This often led to domination, but with some lobby luck, one could also have a great game.
Some players miss this feeling. Even though developers have repeatedly emphasized over the years that individual performance has been part of matchmaking since the early days of CoD multiplayer.
SBMM – Goal and Factors of Matchmaking
What is the goal of matchmaking in CoD? Even if you might think so, it is primarily not about fairness in matchmaking. If it were, individual performance would have a large share in matchmaking, like in the ranked play modes (example CoD Vanguard).
Ultimately, it is about keeping you in the game for as long as possible. This is a complex issue. Considering that many players go into matches with a team and 150 players are in one match, it almost becomes rocket science.
It is also correct that your lobbies generally become more difficult the better you play.
What factors determine matchmaking? Call of Duty itself is very reticent on this topic – unlike Overwatch, for example. Therefore, it is actually not possible to accurately say which factors play a role and to what extent. However, the following factors are considered certain:
- Connection stability
- Game region
- Performance (of the team)
- Input devices
- Game platform
It is always necessary to distinguish whether you are playing an SBMM mode – this is called “Ranked Play” in the current Call of Duty. Here, performance is prioritized, but connection quality factors are still part of matchmaking.
SBMM – Bypassing and Tracking
How do some players bypass the system? Since performance is one of the matchmaking factors, these values can be influenced.
So you can intentionally play badly or blow yourself up multiple times – to the annoyance of your own team. This method is called “Reverse Boosting” and is prohibited in Call of Duty.
In addition, you can mask your past performances and play with a new account. This is called “Smurfing”. CoD does not provide any rules for this, but tracking would also be extremely difficult.
Officially allowed, but now frowned upon and no longer allowed in many public tournaments: setting up a VPN.
What is a VPN?
This refers to a Virtual Private Network. Simply put, it is a kind of intermediary server that sits between your internet connection and the servers of a website. The website only sees the information from the intermediary server, and your IP and other information do not reach the website’s server.
This brings more anonymity and security. You can also change your internet region with it and gain access to content that is otherwise only available in other regions – for example, the Netflix program of another country.
Players can change their server region, for example, and have some influence on their internet connection. The YouTuber and CoD expert “TheXclusiveAce” conducted an experimental series about this some time ago (via YouTube) and was able to slightly outsmart the matchmaking.
How can one view matchmaking data? For Warzone 1, there were many tools that collected and processed all performance data of players. From this, SBMM tables were created that were supposed to show where you stand compared to other players.
These data were pulled via an interface (API), which is currently not available for Warzone 2. Therefore, tracking sites like “CoD Tracker” currently do not work – the data is not accessible.
As soon as there are new info or tools to track your performance, you will find more on MeinMMO.
That was the most important information about the matchmaking of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 for now. If you have any questions about the system or comments, feel free to leave them in the comments.
If you would rather read more about CoD, then check here: CoD MW2: Players are excited about the return of a 10-year-old mode – Is it a laughing stock on Shipment?
