MW3 players already frustrated by SBMM are looking to exploit matchmaking to avoid it

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer has been in the wild for less than two days, but gamers everywhere are already feeling the effects of skill-based matchmaking. And now, they’re looking at ways to avoid it.

Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, is a system that matches players with those of a similar skill level, often leading to more competitive or “sweaty” games. Many players feel it punishes those of higher skill levels by forcing every game to feel more difficult, even in casual public matches.

On the launch day of MW3, SBMM is a hot topic yet again, with gamers speaking out about it on social media. Many players attempting to grind out leveling and weapon camos are finding themselves in sweaty lobbies.

A quick search of SBMM on social media will result in tweets like the one above, where players are now trying to fight back by manipulating matchmaking in their own way to avoid such things.

“As expected, SBMM is ruining MW3,” one YouTuber and Twitter user said. “I’m camo grinding and playing against teams giving each other callouts with Crimson-Iridescent skins and fully kitted out MW2 guns.”

Many content creators in the past have tanked their “skill rating” by purposely losing games and performing poorly so they end up facing off against other players of low skill to make their gameplay seem more impressive.

“I highly recommend every single player use every possible matchmaking exploit possible,” another YouTuber said, calling for players to use VPNs to make their matchmaking more location-based. “I cannot even explain how many creators use them for gameplays. No judgment here. If it manipulates you, manipulate it back.”

While hardcore SBMM has never been confirmed or acknowledged by Activision, its implementation has felt especially egregious over recent years, with gaming feeling like whenever you do decently well, you’re immediately punished by being matched against teams of good players and with teammates of lower skill to “even things out.”

SBMM is a necessity in ranked modes, where there’s a ladder to grind and rewards to earn. But in public matches, it just feels bad to be actively punished for performing well.