Modern Warfare 4’s SBMM Is a Necessary Evil, Even If It Makes Multiplayer Less Organic

November 1, 2026, 1:00pm

I’ve been playing Call of Duty since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, back when jumping into multiplayer meant using a the server browser to find a populated lobby. You could run into someone who barely knew how to hold a controller or find yourself getting absolutely demolished by a player who seemed to live inside the game. Every match had its own personality, and there was something wonderfully unpredictable about never knowing what kind of lobby you’d end up in. Modern Call of Duty has lost some of that magic, and skill-based matchmaking is a big reason why.

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It’s easy to understand why so many in the COD community have grown frustrated with SBMM, particularly when every match can start feeling like another test of whether you’ve improved enough to keep up. But I also think there’s a good reason Call of Duty has moved toward more carefully balanced matchmaking. The series attracts an enormous audience, and not everyone has the time or desire to spend hundreds of hours getting good at multiplayer. Modern Warfare 4’s SBMM debate deserves a little more nuance, because while I miss the unpredictability of older Call of Duty lobbies, I’m not convinced going back to that system would be better fit for current standards.

Call of Duty’s SBMM Has a Purpose, Even If Players Hate How It Feels

There’s a reason skill-based matchmaking has become such a prominent part of modern multiplayer games. Without some effort to account for differences in player ability, newcomers can find themselves thrown into matches against people who have spent years mastering the same mechanics. While some could probably stomach it, its a pretty miserable introduction to a game, especially when the gap between someone learning the ropes and an experienced player is enormous. Call of Duty has always had a competitive side, but its enormous audience also includes people who just want to unwind after work. Giving those players a reasonable chance to enjoy themselves is good for the long-term health of multiplayer.

That said, SBMM is not beyond criticism. One of the biggest complaints is that matches can feel relentlessly competitive, even when you’re not particularly interested in treating every game like a tournament. Doing well can make the next few matches feel noticeably tougher, leaving players with the impression that they’re being punished for improving. It’s difficult to relax when the matchmaking system seems determined to keep every lobby at your level. I understand that frustration, and I don’t think developers should ignore it. Still, there’s a difference between matchmaking that occasionally creates exhausting matches and matchmaking that serves no purpose. SBMM can be frustrating in practice while still providing an important safety net for the wider player base.

Server Browsers Made Multiplayer More Organic, but Gaming Has Changed

I genuinely miss the days when Call of Duty multiplayer felt less curated. Going back to Call of Duty 4, finding a lobby and sticking around because you liked the people playing in it added a strong social aspect to gameplay. You’d remember people’s names, and there would be regulars on the server ready to happily greet you. Sometimes you’d encounter an incredibly skilled player who made everyone else look hopeless. Other times, you’d end up in a chaotic match where nobody seemed particularly concerned about their performance. Multiplayer Call of Duty felt like a social space than an endless rotation of carefully balanced encounters. You weren’t always being placed into a match designed around your ability, and that unpredictability gave every session a different flavor.

However, it’s worth remembering that multiplayer gaming has changed considerably since those days. The audience is astronomically larger, and matchmaking has to account for people with wildly different expectations. The old approach might have created memorable lobbies for experienced players, but it could also leave newcomers feeling completely outmatched. I don’t think Call of Duty should abandon SBMM simply to recreate the multiplayer experience I remember from 2007. I’d much rather see developers find ways to preserve some of that organic feeling through better social matchmaking and more freedom in how players find matches. There’s room for both approaches. SBMM doesn’t need to disappear, but Call of Duty shouldn’t lose the sense of spontaneity that made its multiplayer so enjoyable in the first place.

SBMM is a scary topic in the Call of Duty community. If you’re a COD player, what are you thoughts on SBMM’s strictness? Let us know the in comment section below.