The Black Ops 7 beta introduced a mode without SBMM and Call of Duty players are psyched: "We need Battlefield 6 to come out every year"
"Call of Duty is worried about their sales for the first time in a decade"

Call of Duty fans are reacting positively to Black Ops 7's new mode – which removes skill-based matchmaking – and are thanking EA for forcing Activision's hand.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta was going strong over the weekend, with players getting their first chance to play this year's Call of Duty multiplayer. However, not content to leave a static experience up, Treyarch updated the beta throughout the weekend, with new modes and the return of some weapons based on player feedback. One such change was the implementation of two new playlists, Moshpit – the classic playlist that cycles through different game modes – and Open Moshpit.
"In Open Moshpit, skill consideration is drastically reduced when matchmaking," Treyarch explains on the Call of Duty website, saying that this has been implemented "with the goal of providing more varied match experiences and outcomes. This playlist will match players with and against players of more varied skill differences than in the current Multiplayer matchmaking system." Effectively, this is a playlist that removed the often-derided skill-based matchmaking.
Money is the only reason Black Ops 7 is making changes. Call of Duty is worried about their sales for the first time in a decade and the players are finally being listened to. https://t.co/NWuvp1VcRhOctober 5, 2025
And naturally, CoD pros are happy, with SpawnUp posting a clip of Scump streaming with Nadeshot and Octane while the three celebrate. All three are psyched about the news, with one of the players expressing their pleasure with a very NSFW comment you'll need to hear for yourself. However, Nadeshot's own statement is the highlight, as he says, "We need Battlefield 6 to come out every year."
While a funny comment in its own right, Battlefield streamer MoiDawg makes a point that "Call of Duty is worried about their sales for the first time in a decade" in reference to Battlefield 6's extremely positive beta reception, adding that "the players are finally being listened to." MoiDawg also mentions that "Money is the only reason Black Ops 7 is making changes." I'm inclined to agree – it doesn't matter whether it's fighting games, shooters, wrestling, or supermarkets, competition always makes things better.
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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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