The new Battlefield has not yet released any official information, but it is already facing the debate that plagues all modern shooters: skill-based matchmaking.
After numerous leaks from the community test program revealed a lot about the gameplay and content of Battlefield 7, some players are now digging deeper.
Details about the matchmaking system that was tested in the test sessions have been found. Parts of the community immediately saw red when they heard the term SBMM
, and the whole thing boiled over so much that the community manager had to put his foot down.
But first things first.
Battlefield with matchmaking
As reported by mp1.com, the information about SBMM comes from a data miner named schroomi. He discovered a matchmaking system that is based on performance (K/D/R, points per minute, etc.), platform, and connection quality (ping).
After fans expressed their desire for the game to flop
if it uses SBMM in Reddit posts that the game should be a flop
if it uses SBMM, David Sirland, the game’s lead producer, responded with his own post on the subject.
First, he clarifies that Battlefield 7 does have an SBMM system, but that it prioritizes ping and match wait times, and that the skill of the individual player plays only a minor role. According to Sirland, this system has already been used in previous Battlefield games.
All good players on the same team?
Furthermore, he does not consider “skill” to be a fundamentally bad matchmaking factor. The decisive factor is how it is used.
He writes: “Saying that SBMM is generally bad doesn’t help anyone. What you should say instead is: Strong SBMM with a sharp separation [of players] based on skill is bad.”
According to Sirland, a skill rating is necessary to a certain extent to ensure balanced teams: “It wouldn’t be fun if all the good players ended up on the same team, would it?”
Nevertheless, players of varying skill levels can be on the same server. The decisive factor is a fair lineup of the two teams.
Battlefields Community Manager intervenes
Because the mood continues to escalate despite Sirland’s attempts to explain, Community Manager TOTALfps also speaks up and writes: “Ok, that’s enough now.”
He addresses the fundamental problem with the leaks and the resulting discussions:
Battlefield Labs is about developing and collaborating on the future of Battlefield, and we want to do that in the right way. I want to remind everyone that the things that happen in Battlefield Labs may or may not make it to the final finish line. That’s the great thing about this program.
He goes on to explain that leaks are always shared without context and with a certain point of view. This is “detrimental to the trust and transparency” that we want to create.
He addresses the leakers directly:
While the temptation of brief internet fame may be alluring, it undermines our efforts to remain open and communicative. And honestly, if that’s your intention, then I wonder where that aligns with the interests of our, THIS, community.
TOTALfps would also like to thank all players who are working to make the next Battlefield better with their feedback, while urging everyone to only consider information published by developer DICE and publisher EA as official and accurate. However, his words also carry a warning that consequences could follow if trust continues to be toyed with.
