Skill-based matchmaking, known as SBMM, has long been one of the most polarizing topics in the Call of Duty community. Fans passionately debate how SBMM shapes multiplayer lobbies, with some players craving balanced matches and others wishing for a more relaxed experience. This ongoing controversy only intensified during the holiday season for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, as a vocal segment of the player base claimed that Treyarch secretly tweaked the matchmaking to be more punishing or restrictive around Christmas. However, a key member of the development team has stepped in to put these rumors to rest.
Holiday Matchmaking Rumors Spark Community Debate
Black Ops 7 launched in November 2025 and failed to garner any significant fanfare, and one of the major changes introduced was an open matchmaking system in many of its public playlists following major backlashes. This system was designed to reduce the influence of SBMM so that players of varying skill levels could mix in matches more freely, something many veteran players felt was missing from modern titles.
Despite this shift, as the holidays arrived, some players took to social platforms claiming that the game’s matchmaking felt tougher or more competitive than usual. A common theory among these players was that Treyarch had reintroduced stricter SBMM during the holiday period to protect newer or casual players who received the game as a gift. These claims gained traction as players reported frequent encounters with high-prestige opponents and more intense lobbies.
Matt Scronce Addresses SBMM Conspiracy Head-On
In response to these claims, Matt Scronce, the Design Director on Call of Duty and a key figure in shaping Black Ops 7’s multiplayer systems, addressed the community directly. When asked whether the matchmaking system had been altered during the holiday season, Scronce unequivocally refuted the idea that any SBMM adjustments had been made for Christmas or other seasonal reasons. His response made it clear that the matchmaking algorithms running during the holiday period were the same as those used at launch.
Scronce’s reply on social media was straightforward: the studio did not “crank up” SBMM or secretly retune matchmaking to account for new holiday players. This clarification aimed to reassure players that the perceived changes were likely the result of normal population shifts or player perception rather than hidden modifications by the developers.
Why Players Still Feel Something Has Changed
Even with the developer’s denial, some players maintain that something feels off in holiday lobbies. It is important to understand that matchmaking systems can feel different when player populations shift, such as during peak holiday play times. Larger numbers of casual or infrequent players entering and leaving queues can lead to more varied matchups, which veterans might interpret as a tightening of matchmaking rules. Additionally, with Black Ops 7 offering multiple playlists and modes, including Standard Moshpit options that retain stricter SBMM, individual experiences can vary widely depending on the queue chosen.
This combination of community perception and varied playlist structures may fuel ongoing debates about SBMM, even when developers publicly state that no deliberate changes have taken place.
