Summary: Activision has released a comprehensive white paper explaining its skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) system in Call of Duty. This document details the intricacies of matchmaking and presents evidence that players generally appreciate the system.

In April, Activision published a 1,700-word essay titled "Call of Duty: An Inside Look at Matchmaking," aimed at starting a conversation with the community about how teams are formed in the game. Although comments are not allowed directly on the blog, the post explains that SBMM aims to match players of similar skill levels, which is fundamentally intuitive.

Despite the ongoing debate over SBMM, Activision’s writers produced an in-depth follow-up paper titled "The Role of Skill in Matchmaking." This 25-page document highlights that player skill is only one component of SBMM and not the most critical. Other factors considered in the matchmaking process include:

• Ping rates
• Time to start a match
• Input types (keyboard/mouse vs. controller)
• Platform
• Voice chat
• Recent maps and modes

Some factors, like maps, modes, and voice chat, may seem minor but can significantly impact the gaming experience. For instance, coordinating with teammates using limited communication methods can be frustrating. However, ping remains the most crucial factor in matchmaking, outweighing even skill.

Activision emphasizes, "Connection is the most critical and heavily weighted factor in the matchmaking process."

The white paper also delves into the testing of matchmaking. Team formation is a complex process that involves testing various configurations to optimize the system. For the past five years, many Call of Duty players have unknowingly participated in SBMM tests. These tests sometimes involved "loosening" skill disparity, resulting in servers split 50/50.

Analysts then evaluated metrics such as session length, quit rates, and match outcomes, comparing the test and control groups. Results indicated that players in the control group, with standard SBMM, played longer and quit fewer matches. Match outcomes in the control group were also closer, while the test group experienced more lopsided matches. Activision noted that entirely disabling SBMM would have greatly increased disparities.

While these findings may not resolve the community debate, they demonstrate Activision's ongoing efforts to refine and balance the matchmaking system for a fairer gaming experience.