Does MW2 Have SBMM And What Is It?
What is SBMM, and why is everyone talking about it in Modern Warfare 2? Keep reading our article to find out.
If you've been keeping in touch with the online conversation surrounding Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, you might have come across the term SBMM. But what exactly is SBMM, and why is it so controversial in Modern Warfare 2? Keep reading to find all the answers to those questions.
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MW2: What Is SBMM?
SBMM stands for 'Skill Based Match Making' and is the term used to describe the way that players are matched with each other in online lobbies. When you search for a lobby in an online game, often that game will try to put you in a match with other players in your region to keep the server latency low.
However, SBMM also takes the relative skill level of players into account. Using data like your kill/death ratio, time players, and score per minute, a game can try to match you with players that are just as good as you are. In theory, this should ensure that players are constantly being challenged by players on a similar level to them. TL;DR, low-skilled players are put into matches with other low-skilled players, while high-skilled players are matched with other high-skilled players.
Does MW2 Have SBMM?
Yes, Modern Warfare 2 does feature SBMM in multiplayer. This means that as you play more matches of Modern Warfare 2, you will eventually start to see that you're matched with other players of similar skill. It might take a good few matches for the algorithm to learn how good you are at the game. This is why the first few matches of your Modern Warfare 2 career might seem like you're playing against easier players or even bots. This is not the case - give the algorithm enough time to kick in, and you'll eventually see yourself playing against other players of a similar skill level to you.
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Why Is MW2 SBMM Controversial?
The inclusion of SBMM in multiplayer games has always been controversial, and the same can be said for Modern Warfare 2. On one hand, some players feel that SBMM should only belong in ranked and competitive playlists. This is because SBMM ensures that players are always challenged to a certain level, and it means that highly skilled players can no longer feel the joy of crushing the low-skilled competition.
However, developers of multiplayer games have often argued that SBMM is vital to making a multiplayer game fun for more people. Many players will know that it's not fun to launch into a game and constantly be dominated by veteran players who know the game inside and out. SBMM helps to keep everyone on a level playing field while minimizing the skill gap between players in lobbies.
As it stands, though, SBMM is currently here to stay in Modern Warfare 2 public multiplayer lobbies.
For more Modern Warfare 2 guides, keep reading GGRecon.
About The Author
Joshua Boyles
Joshua is the Guides Editor at GGRecon. After graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in Broadcast Journalism, he previously wrote for publications such as FragHero and GameByte. You can often find him diving deep into fantasy RPGs such as Skyrim and The Witcher, or tearing it up in Call of Duty and Battlefield. He's also often spotted hiking in the wilderness, usually blasting Arctic Monkeys.
