Concerns surrounding skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) have resurfaced within the Call of Duty community as players question whether Black Ops 7 is truly using the open matchmaking model Treyarch announced earlier this year. Despite the studio’s claims, many players believe that the game feels more skill-driven now than it did during its open beta—prompting independent testing from well-known community members and a direct response from the developer.
The Ongoing Debate Around SBMM
SBMM has long been a divisive topic in the Call of Duty franchise. Earlier entries such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, World at War, and Black Ops prioritized connection over skill, creating relaxed and consistent online matches. This changed in 2019 with the reboot of Modern Warfare, where matchmaking became more tightly tuned to player performance.
Fans have often criticized the approach, claiming it disrupts connection quality and creates uneven difficulty spikes. While other games also use SBMM, many in the community feel that Call of Duty’s implementation is particularly aggressive.
Treyarch’s Return to Open Matchmaking
For Black Ops 7, Treyarch announced that it would return to an open matchmaking system—one that still considers skill, but only minimally. The goal was to reduce the “rollercoaster” experience of fluctuating lobby difficulty and restore connection quality as a priority.
However, after the game’s full release, many players reported that matches felt noticeably more difficult than in the beta, sparking new theories that the game was still quietly prioritizing skill.
Community Testing Raises Questions
In response to player concerns, popular YouTuber Xclusive Ace conducted controlled tests comparing matchmaking using two separate accounts: his main account and a low-performance “bot” account. Conditions such as game mode and time of day were kept identical.
The resulting data showed almost identical matchmaking times but a significant difference in ping. The main account consistently landed in lobbies averaging around 42ms, while the bot account averaged closer to 20ms.
This led some players to speculate that higher-skill accounts might be placed into less optimal lobbies, implying skill is weighted more heavily than Treyarch claims.
Ace emphasized that his experiment was not a large-scale scientific test, but the findings were enough to ignite community debate.
Treyarch’s Official Response
After the results were published, Treyarch contacted the YouTuber and confirmed that it is reviewing the matches used in the tests. The studio reiterated that nothing has changed between the open beta and the full release of Black Ops 7.
Treyarch explained that the perceived difference likely stems from shifts in player demographics and playlist choices now that the full player base is active. With more players of varying skill levels participating across different modes, matchmaking may naturally feel different than during the controlled environment of the beta.
Community Still Wants Transparency
Despite Treyarch’s statements, skepticism remains. Some content creators argue that the community deserves full transparency regarding the exact matchmaking metrics used. They feel that years of unclear or conflicting communication around SBMM have eroded trust.
These concerns reflect broader frustrations within the community. Many players dislike SBMM because they believe it leads to inconsistent match quality, worse connections, and extreme shifts in lobby difficulty after good or bad performances.
The SBMM Debate Isn’t Going Away
While Treyarch maintains that Black Ops 7 uses open matchmaking, the community remains divided. Until more detailed data is publicly shared, many players will continue to question whether the system prioritizes connection as strongly as claimed.
For now, Treyarch insists the system is functioning exactly as intended—and that no hidden skill-based weighting has replaced the open matchmaking model presented earlier this year.
