Skill-Based Matchmaking: A Polarizing Topic
What is your opinion on Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM)? While it’s a convenient way to ensure you’re always matched with players of similar skill, it also polarizes gamers, as some people hate SBMM itself, while others think it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
It’s easy to see why SBMM is popular. After all, who doesn’t want to be matched with equally skilled opponents? But at the same time, it makes it harder to achieve victory, which is at the core of the issue. As the desire to win is at the core of every gamer, this sense of frustration and helplessness leads to an inferior experience.
The desire to stomp newbies and the resistance to being matched with sweaty veterans is at the heart of the issue, but it’s also an attitude that clashes with the reality of playing against equally skilled opponents. Sure, there will be close matches and 50/50 fights, but that’s exactly what you want in a multiplayer game.
On the other hand, there’s a subconscious desire to win and a sense of superiority over the newbie at the other end of the match who can’t even shoot straight. The clash between the desire for a competitive game and a power fantasy game creates an inappropriate mix.
Players want a sense of progression and improvement, which are crucial for long-term enjoyment. Games like Counter-Strike and Valorant have visible ranks, which makes SBMM more acceptable. You can see your progress, become better, and climb the ranks. Without visible ranks, you lose that sense of progression, leading to frustration and a lack of fun.
In some cases, this need for progression can even lead to shifts in playstyle – focusing on KD ratio rather than winning, for example. If you start losing too many matches, you might even become a bit more cautious and try to avoid dying as much, which is a big no-no for hardcore players.
Some players even argue that SBMM doesn’t work and doesn’t put them against players of similar skill and time investment. However, it’s subjective as to what constitutes a fair and fun experience. If the level of challenge is low enough, you’re still going to enjoy the game, even if it’s not Call of Duty.
The other issue is that SBMM can be abused, with people creating smurf accounts and bullying newcomers. It’s also not exactly a good idea to completely eliminate imbalanced matches, as the veterans at the top can dominate every game, which isn’t exactly fair to newcomers.
It’s a tricky balance, but ultimately, there needs to be a certain amount to keep it entertaining. In the end, there is always going to be a desire to stomp newbies, and that’s completely fine, but it shouldn’t be the only option.
iRacing and Destiny are two examples of games where pros and experienced players create alternate accounts to maintain their high skill ratings. So, it’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as it’s regulated.
Ultimately, the absence of SBMM would lead to the experienced players dominating every game, making it unfair for newcomers. While it might be fun for the veterans, it’s a frustrating experience for the new players.
So, is there a way to fix the problem? There are some alternatives to SBMM that seem to work, such as the ranking system in Apex Legends, which is a combination of skill-based and merit-based matchmaking.
