There is a long-standing debate among fans of multiplayer shooters on the question: “What is the best way to select opponents: based on player skills or not?” This question arises with the release of all competitive projects, for example, it is known that XDefiant does not have a skill-based matchmaking system, while Call of Duty actively uses it.
Publisher Activision has begun publishing materials that prove the correctness of their decision to use skill-based matchmaking in Call of Duty. They have published a 25-page analysis, which you can read at this link. There’s a lot in there for players who want to better understand why Activision continues to insist that it made the right decision.
Activision’s document outlines what the company means by “player skill.” In short, it’s: total kills in a match, kill-to-death ratio, and deaths to enemies. The game doesn’t directly account for support actions like healing teammates or capturing objectives.
According to Activision, the main reason for using skill-based matchmaking is to prevent failure, “which we know is not enjoyable for players who are losing.” In the document, the publisher cites an experiment it conducted earlier this year on a limited group of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III players that directly demonstrated that skill-based matchmaking increased the average time per user in the shooter.
Let us remind you that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III recently became part of the Game Pass subscription.
