Activision has finally revealed how skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) works in Call of Duty. According to them, connection is the most important factor, followed by time to match, playlist diversity, recent maps and modes, skill/performance, input device, platform, and voice chat settings. They also explained that skill is determined based on a player’s overall performance, including kills, deaths, wins, losses, and more. The goal of SBMM is to ensure that all players, regardless of skill level, have a balanced experience. This means that lower skill players are not consistently on the losing end, which could lead to frustration and quitting matches. Activision also addressed some community questions, debunking myths such as time played, microtransactions, and special treatment for partners and content creators not affecting matchmaking. They also mentioned that they have tested removing skill as a consideration from matchmaking, but the data showed that players tend to quit matches or stop playing if they’re getting blown out, resulting in a negative overall experience. However, they are open to considering experimental playlists or specific modes without SBMM in the future. Overall, it seems like Activision is committed to maintaining SBMM in Call of Duty, despite the community’s mixed opinions. It’s good to see them being transparent about their matchmaking process, and it will be interesting to see what additional insights their Ping and Matchmaking white paper will provide.