Treyarch Responds to Claims There is Still SBMM in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 developer Treyarch Studios has responded to a recent report that claimed the latest entry in the series could still be prioritizing player skill over connection in its matchmaking system, despite the studio switching to an open matchmaking model during its beta test earlier this year. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 players convinced the shooter has a stronger skill-based matchmaking system than Treyarch states, a trusted YouTuber ran tests to verify these claims. After posting the results online, the studio has responded by explaining why things may feel different now that the game is fully released.

If you’re a Call of Duty player, you’ll likely have heard the phrase “skill-based matchmaking” thrown around. Or, as most fans abbreviate it to, “SBMM.” This is a system that isn’t exclusive to Call of Duty, but is often a huge talking point among the game’s community. In the days of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, World at War, and Black Ops, the series operated under an open matchmaking system that prioritized connection over skill. However, this changed in 2019, when Infinity Ward rebooted the Modern Warfare series and adjusted its matchmaking system to account for a player’s skill level when searching for multiplayer lobbies. It quickly became controversial, but publisher Activision insisted that SBMM was vital to long-term player longevity and healthier matchmaking.

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Treyarch Insists Black Ops 7’s Matchmaking Is Open and Not Skill-Based

Activision remained firm on its stance, keeping skill-based matchmaking in the series right up until this year, when it shocked the community and confirmed it would be moving back to the traditional open matchmaking system for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Now, it is important to note that skill is still considered in open matchmaking, but Treyarch insists that it is minimal. Despite this, fans aren’t convinced, as many believe the game feels drastically different from how it did in the open beta earlier this year.

These conspiracy theories led YouTuber Xclusive Ace to run tests (the full results of which are shown in their latest video) to find out what was going on. Ace used two accounts: their main and a “bot” account for testing. The YouTuber replicated conditions and settings, such as game mode and time of day, with the only difference during the tests being the account. The results were slightly concerning. Although the matchmaking time was nearly identical, there was a clear difference in ping, with Ace’s main account averaging 42ms and his bot account averaging 20ms. This suggests that skill, not connection, is being given greater weight than Treyarch claims, but they insist this is not the case.

Following the publication of Ace’s video, Treyarch reached out to the YouTuber and stated that it is “looking into the matches” that Ace was testing on their accounts. The studio reiterates that “nothing has changed” between the open beta and the full release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. However, it noted that player demographics and playlist selections are “very different,” which is likely why players are experiencing such a difference in the skill level of their lobbies compared to the beta.

Despite Treyarch insisting that it is no longer using SBMM for Black Ops 7, fans don’t seem to be convinced. Fellow YouTuber PrimitiveAK, for example, says that the community needs to be given access to the raw data, or for Activision/Treyarch to provide “full transparency” on what exactly has been changed from skill to open matchmaking. “Community has been lied to for years on end with manipulative matchmaking and at this point nothing they say will be believable,” Primitive said. Others also seemingly agree, with another YouTuber, Rara, saying they “have a hard time believing anything [Treyarch] says at this point.”

There are multiple reasons why the community is so against SBMM in Call of Duty. While other titles also use a similar system, many believe it is implemented poorly by Activision. As skill has been heavily favored in the series’ system since 2019, fans have found the connection to be worse and games to be far less relaxing. Players also often report a “rollercoaster” of games, as skill-based matchmaking puts players into tougher lobbies after a few good games and then back into easier ones after several bad matches.

Released

November 14, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs