Battlefield 2042 fans will be happy to know that the upcoming shooter is neatly sidestepping one of the most-hated features in Call Of Duty games: skill-based matchmaking.
For those that aren't entirely sure what this is or why it matters, skill-based matchmaking (or SBMM) is a system that automatically assesses the skill level of each player, pairing them up with other players of a similar skill level. Usually this is to make sure newcomers don't immediately run into veterans, get absolutely destroyed, and end up being completely put off jumping back into more games.
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On paper it sounds great, but in practice SBMM in online shooters like Call Of Duty leads to a constantly competitive experience. Improving and growing as a player is great, but the better you get, the better the players you come up against. Constantly fighting against players who are as good, if not better than you, means it's nigh-on impossible to sit back, relax, and enjoy a casual game. If you've played any recent Call Of Duty titles, including Black Ops Cold War, you'll be aware that SBMM is not a popular thing... at all.
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There was some brief confusion and plenty of concern earlier this week when prolific Battlefield leaker Tom Henderon claimed that Battlefield 2042 would feature SBMM. Fortunately, the kind of SBMM he appears to be describing doesn't actually sound much like SBMM at all.
"Yes, there is SBMM in Battlefield 2042 - It's just PRIMARILY sever based," Henderson wrote in a now-deleted tweet before later clarifying: "I worded this a bit confusingly. The majority of the "SBMM" happens when you've found the server, it doesn't kick in beforehand - So it's not like COD."
As others have pointed out, this means Battlefield 2042 will be like every other Battlefield game in that team balancing only takes effect after a server has been found. In other words, players don't have to worry about a constant sense of competitive play and can relax and enjoy themselves. With 128 players per game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC, COD-style SBMM certainly would have been a nightmare.
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Featured Image Credit: EA
Topics: GAMING, DICE, News, EA, Battlefield