The debate surrounding skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) in Call of Duty continues to rage, even amidst the excitement of Black Ops 6 Season 2.  This system, which groups players based on skill and statistics, aims to create balanced matches.  However, it's drawn criticism for potentially hindering the competitive experience and prioritizing new players over network connection quality.

Charlie Olsen, the former Raven Software developer behind Call of Duty's MMR (Matchmaking Rating) system, recently shed light on the controversial topic of SBMM in an interview with Insider Gaming. Olsen argued that SBMM and MMR are crucial for the game's long-term health and player engagement.  He emphasized that the system prevents less skilled players from being constantly outmatched, and acknowledged that highly skilled players also dislike carrying weaker teammates.

While acknowledging the validity of community concerns, Olsen believes SBMM is here to stay.  He points out that the current system has a fundamental design flaw: it lacks sufficient skill feedback and punishes skilled players by consistently matching them with equally strong opponents, diminishing the sense of accomplishment and mastery.

Olsen proposed several improvements to the SBMM system.  These include displaying the average skill level of opponents in lobbies, offering XP multipliers for competing against tougher competition, and providing players with direct access to their MMR ratings within the game, eliminating the need for cumbersome data requests to Activision.

Olsen attempted to pitch these revised SBMM and MMR systems on multiple occasions, including during the development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) at Infinity Ward. However, he reveals that such suggestions face an uphill battle when originating outside the main studio, often dismissed due to a lack of understanding of how the system actually functions. Despite the lack of traction, Olsen maintains that players are justified in their criticisms of the current SBMM implementation.