Call of Duty enthusiasts have found a way to peel back the curtain on Activision’s long-secret skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) system. Thanks to a method highlighted by YouTuber TheXclusiveAce, players are now flocking to Activision’s privacy portal to access detailed data about their performance, dating back as far as Call of Duty: Vanguard in 2021. While it’s no walk in the park, the process promises to reveal metrics that were previously kept under wraps.
The discovery reignites debates about SBMM, a feature that some players love and others love to hate. For high-skill players, it’s often derided as the reason for frustratingly tough matches. Others see it as a necessary evil to maintain balance. The data obtained through Activision’s privacy tool outlines everything from individual match statistics to overall skill ratings, but stops short of clarifying how these ratings stack up against the broader player base.
For now, this grassroots effort to demystify SBMM raises an intriguing question: Could a community-driven approach to analysing these metrics lead to greater transparency—or will it deepen the divide between casual and competitive players?