Modern Warfare 2 – Skill-Based Matchmaking, Explained

So, you're playing MW2 multiplayer, and you find yourself posted at the top of the scoreboard. You're proud, excited, and maybe even surprised that you're there, but you are. You enter your next game, and you are tossed around like a ragdoll, like you aren't even a part of the game. You're at the pit of the board now, and you're wondering what happened. Believe it or not, there's a reason for that, and it's called Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM). We're here to explain why such events are common for most of the Modern Warfare 2 community.

What is Skilled-Based Matchmaking in Modern Warfare 2?

Skill-Based Matchmaking, or SBMM for short, is a system designed to ensure all players of Modern Warfare 2 face others around their same skill level. As a player, the idea is that you are never faced with players at a significant skill disadvantage because you're only being matched up with players around your level or better. In theory, this works well. Modern Warfare 2 is one of many games in the Call of Duty series to have SBMM implemented.

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Issues arise with the sensitivity of the system. In Modern Warfare 2, even though we don't have access to direct data, we feel that it is very overturned for its intended purpose. Doing well and winning a game tells the SBMM system to place you against stronger opponents, sort of like a ranking system. But in Modern Warfare 2, this is taken to the extreme because you'll likely end up facing players considerably better than you after such a victory. This is why the scenario mentioned in the opening of this article is so common. All it takes for SBMM to over-place you are one strong victory on your part.

Is Skill-Based Matchmaking a problem?

Whether or not it is a problem depends on perspective. If you're the type of player that enjoys facing opponents well above your skill level, then SBMM is likely not a problem for you. If you're a player looking to only match with people around your level, then SBMM is your antagonist. We think the sensitivity of SBMM's matching should be toned down a bit, so that such extremes of going ultra positive one match, then super negative the next, happen less frequently. In today's gaming environment, SBMM is necessary, but it still needs to be tuned. Hopefully, Infinity Ward will get around to that soon.

For more on guides, tips, and info on Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, check out How to get the CODE Protector Pack in Call of Duty MW2 right here on Pro Game Guides.