Does Modern Warfare 2 have skill based matchmaking? SBMM and the debate around it explained

Not all Call of Duty matches are the same. When players queue up to find multiplayer matches, the system considers their skill level to create balanced teams.

Though all players start around the same skill level when they first create their account, their placement shifts based on the number of matches they win and lose. Winning more will mean you’ll start playing against better players, while continuously losing will match you against players achieving similar results. Skill based matchmaking (SBMM) can take its time to find the perfect skill equilibrium for your account, so your match difficulty can fluctuate at the beginning.

SBMM has been a part of the CoD franchise for a while now, and it’s also become a hot topic within the community once again with the release of Modern Warfare 2.

Is there skill based matchmaking (SBMM) in Modern Warfare 2?

Yes, Modern Warfare 2 has skill based Matchmaking (SBMM). Though it isn’t stated in the game or any official patch notes, players will notice SBMM’s presence through the ever-changing nature of their lobbies, most noticeably when lobbies are disbanded after a match. You’ll be paired with other new players when you first start playing Modern Warfare 2 on a fresh account and will stick with players on your similar skill level as you progress.

Despite the high number of veteran players in the CoD series, starting lobbies will have less competition. After winning some matches, your lobbies will likely fill better players, making the matches slightly harder. Eventually, with enough matches played, the system will have enough data to place you into balanced matches where you can compete against players from the same skill tier as yourself. 

Why is skill based matchmaking (SBMM) in Modern Warfare 2 such a hot topic?

The use of SBMM in Modern Warfare 2, and in CoD as a whole, has been a constant point of debate.

One side argues that the inclusion of SBMM in the main playlists deters casual players since the matches are always competitive. The same side also argues that even the most competitive players don’t want to play competitively all the time and that SBMM should stay only in ranked playlists and not in casual playlists. Players against SBMM also feel that it denies high-level players the satisfaction of dominating lower-level players.

The other side, which includes the developers making the game, argues that SBMM is vital to the health of a game and to keeping new players from getting discouraged early. SBMM prevents low-level players from getting picked on by high-level players and prevents high-level players from playing matches that are too easy.