Treyarch developer responds to criticism around Black Ops Cold War SBMM

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha has ended. Although the alpha was only available on PlayStation 4, if you are a Call of Duty fan, you have probably taken a look at some gameplay. Unfortunately, the talking point of the alpha was not about the maps, the guns, or the perks. Instead, a familiar debate was more prominent—skill-based match making. Around a month ago, it was leaked that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War SBMM system was to be the same as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Players were quick to realize that this was a feature in the alpha version of the game. As players took to Twitter to vent their frustrations, a Call of Duty developer stated that SBMM has been a feature in past Call of Duty titles.

This debate has been a prominent one in a variety of games. The purpose of it is to match you with other players of similar skill levels. Treyarch developer Martin Donlon responded to a fan who listed the most memorable Call of Duty titles and stated that neither of them had SBMM. However, Donlon stated otherwise. He would know, since he wrote the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 implementation.

They all had SBMM. https://t.co/POpRwO0qXR

— Martin Donlon (@wickerwaka) September 19, 2020

Will Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War SBMM be toned down for the beta?

Following this, the Treyarch developer also explains that SBMM is a feature that can be tuned. The tweet does not suggest Treyarch will be making changes to SBMM. However, it suggests that they can tone it down if needed.

Perfectly valid viewpoint to have. SBMM is one of many many tuneable parameters in a matchmaking system. It's funny watching people talk about it like its a big switch that can only be turned on or off.

— Martin Donlon (@wickerwaka) September 19, 2020

Arguably, SBMM began in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone. Unlike past Call of Duty titles and other competitive games such as Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare does not have a ranked playlist. Therefore, it is difficult to justify the need for SBMM in regular matches. It will be interesting to see if Treyarch adjusts SBMM for the upcoming beta.