Some Modern Warfare 3 players claim skill-based matchmaking is ruining their friendships

The outrage at skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty seems louder than ever in Modern Warfare 3 as players are speaking out against the mechanic in droves.

SBMM, which in theory will match up players of similar skill to prevent one-sided matches, instead turns every few quick play games into what feels like a ranked match. This is done by seemingly matching players with weaker teammates against strong teams in an effort to keep some players on the game.

But for some players, SBMM has had such a negative effect on their gameplay with friends that it’s ending friendship time altogether. A Reddit user named thegraciousgoat recently explained their experience, and it’s kind of sad to read.

“My friends texted me this morning that they will no longer be playing Call of Duty with me,” the Reddit user said. “The recent lobbies have been a nightmare when I am involved in anyway, all thanks to SBMM. It’s a shame that it’s come to a point where friends can’t enjoy the game together.”

The Redditor admitted “there’s a pretty big skill gap between me and three of my friends,” saying they’re not looking for a “pubstomp every game, but the struggle is real.”

Not being able to match up with players who are on a different skill level than you is nothing new in ranked play modes, which is where SBMM genuinely comes in handy. But the mechanic, which has never been confirmed or explained by Activision, is somehow felt more than ever in MW3. And many in the thread agreed with the sentiment.

“I am forced to carry the team solo while the sky is constantly lit up with score streaks due to them getting farmed,” said the Redditor, who says their friends have a 0.2 K/D ratio when matching with them. “The matchmaking has turned into a sweatfest for them, and nobody signed up for a two-hour farming session. It’s draining the fun out of our gaming nights.”

Players across the internet have spoken out against MW3’s SBMM, as they have done for the past few CoD titles, so it seems as though things likely won’t be changing any time soon. It’s definitely a drag that this sort of thing is deployed in Quick Play matches where the key feature should be having fun with friends.