Another Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 update, another community full of irate players who can't understand that game updates don't solely revolve around them. No prizes for guessing what the topic is this time either, because it's one that comes up time, and time, and time again: skill-based matchmaking (SBMM).

For anyone who doesn't know, SBMM is an algorithm, often deployed in multiplayer shooters, that means when you're searching for a match, it prioritizes pitting you against players of a similar skill level. The benefits of this are obvious: each match should, in theory, be fair and balanced, the less experienced shouldn't feel completely outmatched, while high-level players will be tested rather than steamrolling through enemies. On the other hand, it does mean each match is often "sweatier" (requires more focus and effort to play well), and since the real-world location of each player is less of a consideration, it takes longer to search for a match. That's the long and short of it.

For years now, a vocal portion of the Call of Duty playerbase has been complaining about SBMM and advocating for its removal, because it means they get matched up against players of a similar skill. Which is the whole point. These players are typically content creators,........

© Polygon