Treyarch Issues Official Statement on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Matchmaking

17/11/2025 3 Views

Treyarch has issued a statement to reassure fans about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and skill-based matchmaking. Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, has been a highly controversial topic in the Call of Duty community for years. While data supposedly shows that SBMM ensures people stick with the games longer, some have criticized it for making it feel like every match is a hyper-competitive ranked match. Prior to the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it was announced that the new game would be ditching SBMM, a move seen as an attempt to win back goodwill from the fanbase.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has only been out for a couple of days now, but there have already been multiple controversies surrounding the title. It was confirmed that Black Ops 7 used AI during development, and more recently, the game has been accused of secretly implementing SBMM. Some Call of Duty fans are unconvinced that SBMM was turned down as advertised, and so developer Treyarch has issued an official statement on the matter.

Treyarch Addresses Black Ops 7 SBMM Concerns

Taking to Twitter, Treyarch acknowledged that there have been “conversations” about Black Ops 7‘s multiplayer matchmaking among fans online. It then assured fans of a few key points. According to Treyarch, the Open Playlists in Black Ops 7 minimally considers skill and features persistent lobbies, with the developer “committed” to that approach. Quick Play also uses Open Matchmaking, which means that skill is also minimally considered for that as well. Treyarch also confirmed that a fix for a Black Ops 7 Quick Play issue where selections were being overridden has been deployed, so fans should have a smoother experience moving forward.

The SBMM controversy aside, the Black Ops 7 multiplayer seems to have been mostly well-received. There has been praise for the Black Ops 7 multiplayer maps and game modes, with many agreeing that there is a ton of content for fans to sink their teeth into. The Black Ops 7 Zombies experience has also seen some praise, though not everyone is sold on it. The one big point of contention that fans have with Black Ops 7 is the campaign, which has resulted in the game being review-bombed.

It will be interesting to see if the SBMM accusations subside or if fans still believe that the feature has been quietly implemented in the new game despite Treyarch’s statement. We do know that, since Black Ops 7 is a live-service game, the experience will constantly be updated, with the next big update scheduled for November 20, which is when Nuketown will make its debut.