As confirmed during a press briefing at the Battlefield 6 premiere, the latest entry in the series will have some amount of skill-based matchmaking. Additionally, you won’t be able to use the server browser to get around it.
SBMM is a hot topic in certain sections of the gaming community. For most genres of competitive gaming, it’s not a huge deal. The vast majority of online games have some sort of algorithm to get players matched against someone in their skill bracket.
When it comes to Call of Duty, though, skill-based matchmaking is something a pretty vocal section of players do not like. Finding a lobby where you can farm killstreaks is something a section of the community wants, although it’s often at the expense of everyone else in the lobby having a bad time.
On top of this, Battlefield 6 will also be ditching the traditional server browser that’s been long present in the series and will be putting everyone through matchmaking.
Battlefield 6’s matchmaking will have “skill-based” factors
It’s important to note that skill level isn’t the most important factor when it comes to Battlefield’s matchmaking. There are several others. Here’s what it takes into account when trying to put you in a match:
The first two are based almost solely on trying to get you a better connection by putting you in a match that’s on a server close enough to maintain high-quality games.
Server availability likely has a similar purpose, but is more focused around queue times. So, if the best available server has all its matches in your chosen game type full, the matchmaker will start looking elsewhere for servers that can give you what you’re looking for without sacrificing too much in terms of game quality.
Then, on top of all that, skill level is factored in. It isn’t clear how skill is determined and whether it’s based on K/D/A, damage per minute, assist stats, or many of the metrics players can use to win a game. Battlefield doesn’t require you to be the best shot to win games, after all.
On top of that, it’s been confirmed by producer Alexia Christofi that there’s no traditional server browser like other entries in the series. Portal will have servers, but other game modes will have traditional matchmaking.
So, unless you feel like trying to find a normal match in Portal, all players will be shuffled through traditional matchmaking.
It isn’t clear how this decision will affect the upcoming Battle Royale mode, although it’s a safe bet that will also have skill-based matchmaking at the point that it launches.
