YouTuber shows the effects of Skill-Based Matchmaking in Cold War
Black Ops Cold War’s matchmaking system is being tested by YouTube creators. Here’s what they found.
Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) is a system used in online multiplayer games to pair players against other players of similar skill levels.
Mostly, this system is used in ranked games or competitive playlists. Occasionally, games use it in regular matchmaking pools to ensure players of lower skill levels can also have fun without worrying about playing against a drastically better opponent.
Black Ops Cold War has a system like this, and if you make a fresh account and perform poorly for a few games, you may end up in the lowest skill bracket or the “protected” skill bracket. In the video below, Xclusiveace shows us what those games look like.
In the clip, you can clearly see the enemies Ace is fighting are far less skilled than he is. He can juke them out and even stand next to them without anyone noticing him. You may think these players are bots, but they are, in fact, real players.
This video proves that there is skill-based matchmaking in the game, but not to a strict degree. Many top players feel like the system is strict; however, the data needed to prove this is not yet available until large content creators like Ace test the system.
As for easy games like the one Ace was in, this was considered a protected bracket game – or a game for extremely low-level players. These lobbies are normally reserved for the worst players in the game who have not figured out the game mechanics and need a little breathing room to get their feet off the ground.
If players like this were tossed into higher-skilled games, they might quit the franchise before even giving it a go.
Protected brackets also allow players with disabilities to enjoy the game in a multiplayer environment. In the coming weeks, Ace will have some data for the system at large, which will hopefully provide some clarity to the community on how strict the system may actually be.
