Activision finally gives in and confirms Call of Duty Black Ops 7 will not use SBMM: "At launch, Open Matchmaking with minimal skill consideration will be the default"

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"The beta was a valuable opportunity" to test Treyarch's approach to skill-based matchmaking

Screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 reveal teaser.
(Image credit: Activision)

Treyarch has confirmed that, after testing during the beta, skill-based matchmaking will no longer be the default for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

With pressure from Battlefield 6 being put on this year, scrutiny towards Call of Duty is at an all-time high as we head to Black Ops 7's release. Activision has been taking steps to counter what ex-Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra predicts will be a "boot stomp" from EA's shooter, such as introducing a free trial of Black Ops 6 alongside Battlefield's release. This pressure has also prompted Treyarch to hit the panic button and finally heed fan requests to remove skill-based matchmaking during the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta via a new playlist.

And yet despite ignoring pleas for years, Treyarch has finally done it. As announced on Twitter, the studio said, "At launch, Open Matchmaking with minimal skill consideration will be the default matchmaking for Black Ops 7," Adding that, "Our team is committed to providing players with a more varied experience, and the Beta was a valuable opportunity to test this approach."

Naturally, the responses to this tweet are filled with celebrations from players, streamers, and everyone else. And alongside this, Battlefield 6 is getting praise, with one user saying, "Who would’ve thought that Battlefield 6 might be the best thing that’s ever happened to CoD."

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 devs hear your door hate, immediately respond with a list of changes like "forcing specific automatic doors to remain open from the start of the match."

Scott McCrae
Scott McCrae
Contributor

Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.

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