The developers of Battlefield 6 are putting a lot of thought into matchmaking, and the best ways to get people playing without a lot of difficulty. In a pair of posts on X/Twitter, Battlefield 6 lead producer David Sirland was asked specifically about skill-based matchmaking, commonly referred to as SBMM. SBMM has long been a controversial feature in online games, specifically in the shooter genre. Some people love it and some people hate it, but for a lot of developers, there are much bigger priorities. That seems to be where Sirland and the team at Battlefield Studios have fallen.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Open beta used all matchmaking priorities we expect for launch. And they are the same as they have been in previous titles. We prioritize Ping, and time to game ahead of most things,” said Sirland. “Skill is a factor, but far down the list, and all our large modes need a spread of skill to work well. The sandbox needs many different types of skill to function well, and that’s also why the matchmaker teambalances to make the teams even as part of that process.”
To sum it up, Battlefield 6 will prioritize making sure that players are waiting less time between matches. Skill level will have some determination, but it’s being seen as less important when compared to the length of time it takes to get into a match. For the health of the game, that probably makes the most sense. It remains to be seen how players will actually feel about it after launch, but clearly the developers are putting a lot of thought into the best way to handle all of this with minimal issues.
The comments from Sirland followed the first weekend of Battlefield 6‘s open beta. So far, reception to the open beta has been pretty positive. Players seem pretty happy with the game so far, and a lot of praise has been heaped upon the game’s servers. Many people noted that they had little to no issues getting into matches, with minimal crashes and queue times. That does suggest that the team’s approach is working. At the very least, things seem pretty good at the moment. That isn’t to say reception was all positive; there were a significant number of cheaters uncovered during the debut weekend.
Hopefully the second weekend of the open beta goes smoothly, while ironing out any issues. It seems Battlefield 6 players are already itching to get back to the game, and that bodes well for the full launch on October 10th. Right now, players are already calling this a major step above the disappointing Battlefield 2042, but it remains to be seen how everyone will feel after the game actually launches. If the game can keep generating this level of positivity, EA could end up with a big hit later this year.
How do you feel about skill-based matchmaking in online video games? Did you check out the open beta for Battlefield 6 over the weekend? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
Most Viewed
-
image courtesy of Netflix -
Toei Animation
