Many seasoned Call of Duty fans aren't thrilled to hear that Call of Duty 2020 might be implementing a skill-based matchmaking feature for online gameplay.
Call of Duty 2020 is currently in development by Treyarch, though very little information is currently known about the game. While there is no official title released for the game yet, it is believed to be a sequel to Black Ops, or possibly a reboot of the Black Ops subseries similar to 2019's Modern Warfare.
Fans of the game are excited about the addition of new guns, game modes, and maps returning from the older games. However, a rumor from Call of Duty leaker Tom Henderson seems to indicate that Treyarch is including SBMM in Call of Duty 2020's matchmaking, though it remains unconfirmed, so the information should be taken with a grain of salt.
Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, is heavily debated not just within the Call of Duty fanbase, but the online gaming community as a whole. Games with SBMM functions put players in matches against others with equal skill levels instead of being placed against random opponents. Critics argue that players manipulate SBMM features in games to "reverse boost" their profiles by purposefully playing poorly so that the game's algorithm can put them against terrible players.
Games like Fortnite and Apex Legends also use skill-based matchmaking, which has been a point of contention in those communities. According to the leaker, the inclusion of the SBMM isn't even up to the Treyarch, implying that Activision is insisting on its inclusion. Additionally, Henderson states that "SBMM is here to say."
Whether or not a skill-based matchmaking system affects the experience of the game varies from player to player. Some players prefer to only fight against equally matched opponents while others seek pleasure in crushing newbies; it depends on how competitive the fans are with online games. The report may be concerning to some fans, but many developers and publishers have found that only a minority of players have an issue with SBMM, so fans of Call of Duty might want to get accustomed to the changes now since it seems that it isn't going anywhere.
Call of Duty 2020 is set to release later this year.
Source: ComicBook