The Call of Duty matchmaking debate has raged on pretty much since the beginning of multiplayer. Should matches be comprised of evenly skilled players, if there’s an accurate enough way of ensuring that? Or should skill be stripped out of the equation, so you never know what to expect from the next match?

Both sides of the argument have their valid reasons for their preference, but most recently, in 2025’s Black Ops 7, an option was presented that attempted to satisfy all. While the default matchmaking was set to skill-based, as has been the case since 2007’s game-changing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, open matchmaking playlists were also available to those who want the opportunity to get teamed up with, and against, anybody.

This year’s Modern Warfare 4, though, has launched without that option, once again placing the matchmaking debate into the spotlight within the COD community. Is there any way to keep everyone happy, then? IGN spoke with Infinity Ward's Multiplayer creative director, Joe Cecot, who explained that match quality is the priority.

“I don't know if there's perfecting it,” Cecot said of matchmaking. “For us, I think the most important thing when we look at matchmaking is that the matches we put together are good matches. And we're also looking at the players and their experience, and we can look at the data and how it affects things, and we can quantify how it affects a certain group of players or a large percentage of them in a negative way.

Source link