Black Ops 6, Activision Blizzard Continue With Its Deep Dive, This Time on ‘Team Balancing and skill’

Activision Blizzard has recently been making strides in their campaign for transparency, releasing a series of “white papers” that delve into the technicalities of their game design philosophy. The latest installment, titled “The Role of Skill in Matchmaking,” has once again sparked a heated debate within the Call of Duty community.

The white paper, which was released yesterday, tackles one of the most contentious topics in the franchise’s history: skill-based matchmaking (SBMM).

The One Call of Duty Feature the Community Is United Against

The document details various tests and studies conducted by the developers to analyze the effectiveness of “tightening” and “loosening” skill in Call of Duty multiplayer matches, with the ultimate goal of creating “a balanced system for the benefit of all players.”

However, the reception to this latest white paper has been far from unanimous.

Biggest lie of all time!

— Nick “Big Dog” (@RhodeIslandNick) July 26, 2024

Many players expressed their utter disbelief in Activision Blizzard‘s claims, with one user succinctly stating:

I think I speak for everyone when I say..sat… we know you’re lying

— Caffrey 🎶 (@Just_Caffrey) July 26, 2024

The current matchmaking system in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and other recent titles has long been a major pain point for players, with many arguing that it results in a frustrating and inconsistent gameplay experience.

Players have noticed that having one strong performance in a match almost guarantees a blowout in the next, as the game proceeds to match them with significantly higher-skilled opponents.

This has led to calls for a separate mode that prioritizes connection quality over skill, with some even arguing that SBMM has no place in a game like Call of Duty.

Some players even went as far as to suggest that Activision Blizzard is actively working against the interests of the community:

More hogwash when you’re selling cheats and letting streamers get a way with pall sorts of cheating to beef up your money

— Paul Brack (@TeamPB75) July 26, 2024

While this claim may be treading too far into “conspiracy theory” territory, it goes to show the level of mistrust and frustration that exists within certain segments of the Call of Duty player base.

The Data vs. The Community

According to the white paper, Activision Blizzard’s data shows that loosening SBMM restrictions had a larger negative impact on lower-skilled players than the negative impact of tightening SBMM for higher-skilled players.

However, many in the community remain unconvinced:

As much as I love the honesty, just say it flat out.

It’s not changing because money. This is a giant cope & seethe article for us to refer to every time we ask for changes. Its a “yeah fuck off here’s why” article.

— Nick “ProReborn” (@ProRebornYT) July 26, 2024

This sentiment is echoed by other players who feel that Activision Blizzard should prioritize the community’s feedback over data:

Y’all should listen to what the community is saying instead of just going off data. The current system is clearly hated. It’s makes the game miserable to play.

— Will Foust (@bill_foust05) July 26, 2024

These comments suggest a disconnect between the data presented by Activision Blizzard and the actual, lived experiences of many Call of Duty players.

As the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 draws near — and the start of the beta phase nearer — it remains to be seen whether the developers will actually take the community’s feedback to heart and make changes to the matchmaking system.

What do you think about Activision Blizzard’s latest white paper on skill-based matchmaking? Do you believe the data presented, or do you side with the frustrated voices in the community? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!