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A soldier aims their weapon down a hallway in Modern Warfare 3.
Image via Activision

What is Reverse Boosting in MW3? – Answered

Matchmaking has been a rough experience for most.

Although Modern Warfare 3 has brought a ton of new content to enjoy, players still have plenty of complaints, especially with skill-based matchmaking and how it has forced some to reverse boost their accounts for fairer matches.

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Reverse boosting is a tactic that some players have adopted in order to drop their matchmaking rank so they are able to enjoy some easier lobbies, without having to worry about sweats and pros just ripping through public lobbies like its ranked play. It takes a significant amount of time to complete, but it can help anyone who has been struggling with games against high-level players when they’re looking for more casual matches.

Reverse boosting in MW3, explained

Two MW3 characters locking horns on the battlefield.
SBMM strikes again. Image via Activision

Reverse boosting requires players to lose multiple games in a row to force the matchmaking system to place them in easier lobbies. It also isn’t enough to lose games, since players must also actively change the way they play so the system can shift them into a different skill bracket.

As a result, players must purposely perform with worse movement, aim, and decision-making in their matches for the system to place them in lower-ranked lobbies. After throwing a handful of games, some people have reported that they are finally able to play without having to try their hardest in an unranked lobby.

This does, however, mean you’ll be actively griefing your teammates in several matches to get a decent lobby with a limited amount of high-level players. Reverse boosting is highly frowned upon in the community since it takes away the experience from other players. It also only works for a few games, since the system will immediately detect better play from the account and match you with better players.

Ultimately, reverse boosting doesn’t feel too worth the attempt, because not only are you ruining games for other players, but you’re also putting much more effort into losing several games in a row for a few easier matches.


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Author
Image of Tyler Esguerra
Tyler Esguerra
Lead League of Legends writer for Dot Esports. Forever an LCS supporter, AD carry main, with more than five years in the industry. Sometimes I like clicking heads in Call of Duty or VALORANT. Creator of the Critical Strike Podcast.