Former Call of Duty SBMM developer offers solution to improve controversial system

The creator behind the Matchmaking Rating algorithm for Call of Duty’s skill-based matchmaking system explained why it would never be removed entirely but offered a solution to improve it.

In January 2024, Activision finally confirmed that kills, deaths, wins, losses, and more contribute to which match a player gets placed into and have been a factor in the multiplayer matchmaking process since Call of Duty 4 in 2007.

To determine which lobby a player gets placed in, skill-based matchmaking uses Matchmaking Rating (MMR), which measures a player’s skill level. In January 2025, Activision sent players their MMR number of hidden skill ratings, as it is referred to if they submitted a request.

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In an interview with Insider Gaming, Charlie Olson, the former Raven Software developer who wrote the Matchmaking Rating algorithm, explained how to change the negative perception surrounding SBMM.

Former CoD dev reveals simple change to improve SBMM

Activision

A player’s MMR number constantly fluctuates based on how you perform in matches, meaning skill-based matchmaking will pit you against players with a lower MMR if you have a string of bad games.

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Olson argued, “The massive problem with SBMM though is that you don’t know what league you’re in anymore. SBMM takes away the sense of skill and mastery. There’s less skill feedback, stats don’t matter as much, KD is less of a bragging right; it’s a serious design problem really.”

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So, to improve SBMM, the former CoD dev explained, “You should be able to see something about the average skill of your lobby or opponents, like maybe this match is a gold tier, so you get a 1.2 XP multiplier.

“You should be able to see your MMR (matchmaking-rating, aka skill-rating) in the combat record. You shouldn’t have to file a personal data request with Activision just to get that information.”

Olson told Insider Gaming that he pitched the suggestion multiple times, but the idea never caught on because it was an ‘up-hill battle’ for a non-designer.

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“The other reason I think it didn’t catch on is that most designers just don’t know much about how MMR works and therefore aren’t comfortable using it as a component for design,” Olson added.

Having more transparency about how the system works would at least clear up any confusion about how you stack up against the rest of the competition.

Yet, some players want the devs to remove the SBMM entirely, as it unfairly punishes players for getting better. While Olson agreed with this sentiment, he argued why it is necessary.

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“Olson explained that around half of players would be driven to stop playing without SBMM because the “sometimes you stomp, sometimes you get stomped” narrative only applies to around 40% of players by skill, with 10% of the very top players doing 90% of the pubstomping,” Insider Gaming reported.

For more, check out why SBMM is so controversial in gaming and why there are calls to remove it.

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