What Is 'SBMM,' And Why Do Some 'Call Of Duty' Players Hate It So Much?

Last week, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II on the horizon, a familiar bogeyman raised its head in the scene: the specter of "SBMM." This was in large part to a viral clip from popular streamer TimTheTatman, who said he would likely not stream multiplayer in the new CoD due to SBMM.

Skill-based Matchmaking, shortened to "SBMM," has long been a point of contention among the Call of Duty fanbase, as some players absolutely hate it and others think those that hate it are simply scared of facing a challenge. Here, we'll walk you through what SBMM is and what both sides are saying about it, so that you can be prepared to confidently enter the next SBMM-centric flame war that crops up on social media.

What Is SBMM?

SBMM is an acronym for "skill-based matchmaking." In competitive online video games, players are paired to fight with other players via a system that takes certain factors into account. In some games, the key factor may be a player's physical proximity to their opponent, insuring a game with minimum lag (this is called Connection-based Matchmaking). Skill-based matchmaking, as the name implies, uses factors tied to a player's skill to ensure competitive matches.

For example, the GSP system in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate ensures that players who have accrued similar points values will face each other. This prevents situations where, say, a professional player doesn't get matched to fight with someone just learning the game. It's become particularly prevalent in online first-person shooter games like Call of Duty in recent years, with factors like KDR (Kill-death-ratio), score per minute and time played believed to factor into how the game determines a player's skill.

So, SBMM Ensures Competitive Matches. Why Do Some People Hate It?

Arguments against skill-based matchmaking tend to come from higher-level players who say the system makes games less enjoyable, i.e. they are "punished for being good." Giving a generous reading of this argument, it can make a certain amount of sense. Following TimTheTatman's video, YouTuber TheWarOwl explained why some higher-level players dislike the system:

As TheWarOwl puts it, being at a higher level in a game with SBMM means that you will only fight other high-level players. The players TimTheTatman calls "gigasweats" in his now-infamous clip will generally be playing the game optimally, meaning that Tim will essentially be railroaded into that playstyle if he wants to have any enjoyment at all. Should Tim want to, say, experiment with goofy weapons or attempt to pull off risky maneuvers with high rewards in an SBMM system, he will almost certainly get "dumpstered on."

In essence, the argument against SBMM is that it punishes good players by forcing them to play a competitively viable playstyle, taking casual fun out of the game. Without SBMM, there would be far more opportunities for Tim to experience the game as he wants to, allowing him to attempt less optimal but sillier and perhaps more enjoyable gameplay.

Furthermore, in CoD at least, the game gives no rewards for players of higher skill. There is no ranking system or in-game benefits to at least give higher-level players something to chase. Even if a player improves, all they can look forward to is getting matched with better and better opponents without a number to show for it.

What's The Defense Of SBMM?

Before we get into why people support SBMM, it's important to note that the tenor of arguments against it is generally very impassioned to the point of vitriolic. Listening to many arguments against it, it sounds like SBMM is the worst thing to happen to video games since loot boxes. In Tim's clip, he says SBMM is "ruining video games." In 2018, professional eSports player Frost inspired a copypasta with a rant against the concept, writing, "if you like SBMM in video games that says a lot about you. You have no drive, no confidence, no resilience, and no work ethic and probably wont make it anywhere in life."

With the rhetoric of the argument against SBMM dialed so high, many have interpreted it as "I just want to stomp on people and I can’t," as Forbes summarized it in 2020. Others have gone so far as to claim the entire SBMM debate is being driven by content creators worried that they can't make wacky, entertaining clips to maintain viewers.

Gaming developers have implemented SBMM to ensure a broad player base at all levels of play. Arguments for SBMM tend to imagine a hypothetical newcomer to a video game: without SBMM, this new player continually gets matched against people who have been playing the game for years and are extremely good. After getting stomped match after match, this player gives up and looks elsewhere for fun.

A Compromise?

With the debate raging, some have argued that a simple compromise would be to add two game modes to online play: a ranked system that utilizes SBMM and a casual mode that would utilize a broader system, allowing pros to mingle with noobs.

There are other games that have utilized this feature. In Smash, the Quickplay mode has a concept called "GSP," which is a number meant to represent your skill: the higher the number, the better opponent you'll face. The game also has online arenas which can be opened to all and can utilize any of the game's rulesets, allowing for more casual play.

Others have said a ranking system for CoD would at least give players who improve a visual representation of their skill. Some have argued that visual representation of improvement goes a long way to make players feel rewarded, rather than simply face the "punishment" of stronger opponents making the game more difficult.

Until CoD changes something, it's clear the debate will continue to rage on, and several players have expressed they have lost interest in the game's online multiplayer due to SBMM. Whether they're justified or being big babies is up to you to decide.