SBMM is a big and somewhat controversial topic in Call of Duty: Warzone. Officially, it is not even certain that this matchmaking variant is actually in the game. MeinMMO answers the most important questions about SBMM, shows the advantages and problems of the system, and with which tools you can keep an eye on your matchmaking.
Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) is a system that determines which players end up together in a lobby in PvP games. With strict SBMM, you only land in a lobby with players who are at your skill level or that of your team. For this, SBMM can use various metrics; including:
- Player “kills to deaths” ratio (K/D)
- Match win rate
- Metrics of teammates in the team
- Headshot ratio
In Call of Duty: Warzone, SBMM is a big topic. Many players assume that such an SBMM system is in the game, and it often has a bad reputation. SBMM is said to result in difficult lobbies and make your gaming experience worse. Moreover, the developers have so far said very little to nothing about the matchmaking systems in Call of Duty.
MeinMMO has taken a closer look at matchmaking in Warzone and answers a few questions about its function, the problems, and the little tricks players use to bypass SBMM.
Warzone: Info about Matchmaking and SBMM
SBMM stands for skill-based matchmaking and helps to assemble lobbies in PvP games. When SBMM is prioritized in a match search, a player’s skills are considered the most important factor in lobby creation.
The goal is to create fair PvP lobbies where players compete at the same skill level. Matchmaking that is solely based on SBMM would only place players in the lobby who have very similar metrics to yours. Other factors such as region, connection, or the hardware used would not have any influence.
Although the developers do not officially confirm it, it is considered quite certain that there is SBMM in Warzone. However, it is not a strict SBMM. The matchmaking in Warzone considers more factors.
This term refers to Warzone lobbies where only weak players are present. It does not refer to bots, i.e. NPC players, but to real players who play as poorly as bots. When players manipulate the matchmaking in Warzone, they want to end up in bot lobbies.
SBMM in Warzone – Function and Alternative
How does SBMM work in Warzone? SBMM is an important part of matchmaking in Warzone, but not the only one. The matchmaking in Warzone does not strictly aim to match players at the same skill level with you. It aims to keep you in the game as long as possible.
Strong players regularly find themselves in lobbies that are actually below their level, and weak players also occasionally land in sweat lobbies with much stronger players. This is also true for the multiplayer of Modern Warfare and Cold War, but is much more pronounced in Warzone.
In Warzone, the matchmaking needs to bring together not just 12 players, but 150. This leads to SBMM being set weaker and lobbies often providing a wider range of skill levels.
However, generally, your lobbies are indeed harder when you play better. Analyses from well-known Warzone YouTubers have shown this on several occasions. If you want more background and analyses on SBMM in Warzone, check it out here:
- JGOD explains SBMM in Warzone (English/via YouTube)
- TheXclusiveAce compares the matchmaking of 4 accounts with different skill levels (English/via YouTube)
What would be the alternative to SBMM? In earlier CoD titles, there were less complicated algorithms for assembling lobbies. Connection was more or less the only metric that played a role – but not in every match. Players of various skill levels met randomly.
Many players of earlier CoD titles wish for the old system to return. This is also one reason why SBMM currently has such a bad reputation. For these players, it feels like a degradation because they perceive the lobbies as harder and the connection as a factor in matchmaking has receded into the background.
In general, this discussion pits connection-based matchmaking against skill-based matchmaking.
Warzone: Bypassing SBMM – Problems of the System
What are the problems with SBMM in Warzone? On one hand, there are players who feel disadvantaged by SBMM. This is because they feel that they end up in a lobby with too strong opponents or that the connection quality of a match suffers. This is especially true when a few good rounds have been played beforehand. This leads to frustration and is a significant problem for some players in Warzone.
On the other hand, there are ways to trick the system. Since SBMM is oriented towards individual skills, one can manipulate one’s own metrics. “Smurfing” or “Reverse Boosting” are two prominent examples that almost any player can implement. However, solutions with a VPN or specific routers are also used to trick or manipulate SBMM.
What is Smurfing? Strong players with high metrics create new accounts to enter easier lobbies. Warzone rates the player as a beginner and places the smurf account in “bot lobbies”.
What is Reverse Boosting? Players intentionally cause poor metrics to get better lobbies. Intentional losing and self-kills are the most effective means to do so.
How does a VPN affect SBMM? It cannot be said for sure, but it seems to disrupt matchmaking in Warzone a little bit. Here too, YouTuber “TheXclusiveAce” has conducted an experiment and found that you can somewhat weaken SBMM with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) (via YouTube).
In the community, this is even considered certain, and players who set a new kill record must prove that they did not use a VPN.
Warzone: SBMM App and Lobby Tracker
Can I view my matchmaking data? Yes, there are some tools that access, store, and evaluate lobby information from Warzone. The most well-known tools are:
- CoD Tracker – Warzone (via tracker.gg)
- SBMM App Warzone Stats (via wzstats.gg)
On these websites, you get a lot of info about your gameplay performance, playtime, and a comparison with the rest of the player base.
For a while, lobby tracking even worked in real-time. Through the Warzone Companion, you could detect cheaters early on. However, the system was exploited and there were players who left too strong lobbies immediately and hoped for the next match.
Call of Duty then closed a data interface, thus cutting access to certain data. However, you can manually open this interface again.
How can I share my “Call of Duty” data? You can make your gameplay data visible to all players on the official Call of Duty website (via callofduty.com). Log in, go to your profile settings, and then to the settings for “Linked Accounts”.
Set the menu item “Visible Data” in one of your linked networks to “All”. Now you can check your data through the CoD Tracker. But be aware that this also applies to the rest of the world.
If the setting is already set to “All” and you still cannot see your data, it may help to switch the option to “None”, refresh the page, and then switch back to “All”.
What does the Warzone SBMM App show me? Through Warzone Stats (via wzstats.gg), you receive an assessment of your performance in Warzone compared to the rest of the player base. Depending on whether you belong to the top 10% of players in a metric or to the top 50, you are sorted into categories. The highest categories are Legend, Master, and Diamond. Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze round the total down.
However, you will no longer get a classification of your lobbies. You can see the data of the players who were in a match, but again, many data from players who have not opened their interface on callofduty.com are missing.
A real-time lobby tracker like the “Warzone Companion” currently does not exist, which represents and immediately assesses the player data of all opponents in a match.
The matchmaking affects every player and influences every match in Warzone. So what do you think about the lobby composition in Warzone – does it fit? Do you find it terrible? Is SBMM maybe even a reason why fewer people are playing Warzone?
Let us know your opinion in the comments, take part in the survey in the article, and discuss with us on MeinMMO about this contentious topic.
