The skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) of Modern Warfare 2 causes frustration for many players. But one YouTuber knows helpful tricks.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is being criticised: this is most evident on Steam, where the new CoD barely gets balanced ratings. Infinity Ward now reacts with a postponement of Season 2, which is supposed to bring a lot of desired content!
One aspect that bothers many players – including some in our editorial team – is the skill-based matchmaking (SBMM for short), which sometimes makes for very frustrating games. A well-known CoD-YouTuber therefore now addresses the question of what can be done about it without using exploits or reverse boosting.
How does matchmaking work in Modern Warfare 2?
Infinity Ward doesn’t provide us with any exact, official information on how SBMM works in the new CoD. We do know that your performance in past games, as well as other factors such as connection speed, ping and data access points used, will be used to send you to an appropriate lobby and fair
games.
What sounds reasonable at first, however, is causing criticism among players:
- If you do well in the last few games, the SBMM will rank you higher and you will get harder matches. This feels like a
punishment
for their good performance to some. - On the other hand, if you do less well, the game sets you up with particularly easy matches, which is seen as manipulative by some.
- Overall, SBMM is said to be most unpleasant for skilled casual players, who will end up in very challenging lobbies at any time.
- When playing in a group with others who are at a higher skill level, less experienced players usually end up in frustratingly difficult matches.
- It is difficult to track whether you improve over time, as the experience remains the same. Also, there are no visible ranks.
How to make matchmaking more enjoyable
First, the YouTuber and CoD expert (TheXclusiveAce) explains that he hasn’t been able to see the matchmaking of CoD games since the launch of Modern Warfare 2019. However, he said he had picked up a few tricks that would give him a more varied experience of easy, challenging and hard matches
You can watch his video here, we explain the main tricks below. Note that these are especially useful if you consider yourself stronger than the average player.
At the outset, the YouTuber emphasises that he does not use exploits or so-called reverse boosting that makes his account appear worse than it really is. Instead, he makes sure to end up in a matchmaking pool with as few people as possible, so that a perfect
ranking by SBMM becomes much more difficult in each round. He also recommends the following measures to viewers:
- If possible, do not play during peak hours: There are usually fewer players online during the day and week than during evenings and weekends.
- Disable crossplay: This option is only available to console players, here you can disable crossplay in the options under Account & Network.
- Conscious selection of game modes: Select less popular playlists, or limit your filter to a few modes for fast-paced games, or even just a single mode.
- Play in a large group: The YouTuber says he has found that he also experiences more varied matches when playing in a group of five or six people. With smaller squads, on the other hand, it tends to be more difficult.
- Get a special router: With some routers, it is possible to connect only to servers within a certain radius through so-called geo-filtering. This way you can avoid being thrown into games with worse ping, which in turn reduces the player pool.
How useful are these tricks?
It is hardly possible to assess the effect of these measures conclusively, as we neither have precise information on matchmaking, nor can we prove the changes unequivocally.
The argument that a reduced player pool means more varied matchmaking can hardly be dismissed. So there will be a certain effect, and some viewers also confirm below the video that they have had similar experiences. It should therefore be worth a try if the SBMM often spoils your fun.
