Call of Duty: Black Ops 7is on the horizon, and as the wait continues, there are plenty of questions about what players can expect from the next installment. Announced at the end of the Xbox Games Showcase last month,Black Ops 7took a lot of gamers by surprise, as its predecessor,Black Ops 6, isn’t even a year old yet.
Black Ops 7is promising something far different fromBlack Ops 6, though. This time around,Black Ops 7takes the series into the futurein the year 2035. It’s a compelling change of pace, but like manyCall of Dutygames, there is bound to be controversy when it comes to skill-based matchmaking. This feature has been an ongoing issue among the franchise’s fan base, and if it once again proves divisive withBlack Ops 7, developers Treyarch and Raven Software may have one drastic option that could satisfy some longtime fans, at least momentarily.
If Black Ops 7’s Multiplayer Finds Itself in Controversy, Skill-Based Matchmaking Could Be Taken Out Completely
An Ongoing Debate in Gaming
The controversy of using skill-based matchmaking isn’t exactly unique totheCall of Dutycommunity, but it’s definitely a prevalent debate among players. The idea behind skill-based matchmaking makes a lot of sense. It’s a system designed to match players up with others who have a similar skill level. However, this doesn’t always work as intended. Sometimes, performing well in a match can match someone up with players who are far more skilled. On the flip-side, when playing with friends, if there is an imbalance in skill level, it can feel uneven.
It’s not a perfect system, but it can still be more balanced than completely foregoing skill-based match-ups. IfBlack Ops 7isn’t received well at launch, though, the developers may benefit from turning off skill-based matchmaking as a way to gain some good will from longtime players who tend not to enjoy it. AlthoughCall of Dutyis one of the most successful gaming franchises in the world, not every game is viewed equally.Modern Warfare 3is a notorious entry in the franchise, and Activision even conducted an experiment in the past that removed skill-based matchmaking. The results, though, weren’t exactly what was expected.
Activision Has Removed Skill-Based Matchmaking in the Past, and Players Apparently Didn’t Like It
Last summer, Activision published a 25-page paper detailing how the company decided to limit skill-based matchmaking inModern Warfare 3. According to Activision’s findings, removing it caused players to leave matches quicker or not even return to join a fresh one. So, evenifBlack Ops 7faces controversy at launch, turning off skill-based matchmaking actually might not be the solution.
Call of Duty’s embrace of skill-based matchmakingmay frustrate some players, but it also keeps engagement up. For a multiplayer game to be successful, players have to be incentivized to come back for more action, and skill-based matchmaking allows that for a lot of fans.
Black Ops 7features Milo Ventimiglia as returning character David Mason. Alongside Ventimiglia, Michael Rooker returns as Mike Harper, while Kiernan Shipka takes on the role of new character Emma Kagan.
Black Ops 7 Has Yet to Reveal a Release Date, But It’s Right Around the Corner
As the months continue, Activision is bound to reveal more information aboutBlack Ops 7. Witha newBattlefieldgamealso on the horizon, the latter half of 2025 could prove to be an exciting FPS showdown.Black Ops 7is teasing some intriguing concepts, but the franchise can also ignite controversy. Only time will tell, but when it comes to skill-based matchmaking, taking it out of the equation may only be used in a worst-case-scenario situation.
