Skill-based matchmaking continues to be controversial in Call of Duty and gaming, but does Warzone 2 use it? Here’s everything you need to know about Warzone 2 SBMM.
Warzone 2 is now well into its life cycle. Infinity Ward have thrown plenty of new ideas into the mix for the sequel, from reworked loadout drops to a new 2v2 Gulag.
There are also plenty of returning features that fans will be familiar with, but is the controversial skill-based matchmaking system present in Warzone 2?
This is everything you need to know about Warzone 2 SBMM, including an explanation of how it affects your matches.
Is skill-based matchmaking in Warzone 2?
Activision or Infinity Ward remain incredibly tight-lipped about their matchmaking. However, it is very safe to say that Warzone 2 does have SBMM.
The feature appears in every new mainline CoD entry, including Modern Warfare 2 (2022), and the original Warzone.
It’s unlikely that the developers would change their approach without informing the community, but we’ll be sure to update this section if the devs or publishers ever break their steadfast silence.
How does it work in Warzone 2?
Skill-based matchmaking is a system that takes into accounts players’ stats when filling and creating matches. Using players’ in game data – like K/D ratio, score per minute and more – it is able to generally match players with opponents of a similar skill level.
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If you’re Level 250 in Warzone 2, expect to come up against similarly high-ranked players. If you’re a novice, you can expect to come across enemies also just starting out on their Warzone 2 journeys.
In theory, ensuring that everyone faces enemies that are similar in skill to their own means that matches fairer and closer. It protects lesser skilled players from being annihilated.
However, it continues to prove controversial, especially among those who play at a high level like content creators. They have argued that it punishes anyone who is good at the game by consistently putting them in tougher lobbies.
It is also arguable that it is motivated by financial reasons. Lower skilled players are protected and therefore more likely to keep playing and invest time and money in a specific game.
For a full explanation, check out our skill-based matchmaking explainer. In spite of the criticism and mixed reviews, it is becoming more and more common in the gaming world.
Warzone 2, in short, will continue to use it throughout its entire life cycle.