Since the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, players have discussed Treyarch's implementation of Skill-Based Matchmaking. In competitive games, SBMM is not an uncommon practice, as it is mainly used to pair players against similarly skilled competition. Despite its frequency, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War fans have noticed that their lobbies are a tad too competitive, and are now seeking alternate solutions.
The developers have previously disclosed that Call of Duty has long used SBMM in its matchmaking system. The system's design is to ensure that balanced gameplay and competitively interesting interactions happen in every round. In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, fans take SBMM into their own hands, as they no longer feel SBMM is a fair and balanced practice in the franchise.
Recently, the CEO and owner of the 100 Thieves, Nadeshot, started to tweet about the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War player's solution to SBMM. A practice known as "Reverse Boosting" has become commonplace as players ruin their own K/D in hopes of being paired down for a more casual lobby. In the tweet, Nadeshot says that reverse boosting is is "running rampant" and has drawn some major attention to what many consider a problematic practice.
This Twitter rant started with Nadeshot coming across a YouTuber who could get a nuke without getting shot at. Although Nadeshot did not name the video, Surge Octane replied to the tweet claiming credit for sparking this discussion for the pro Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War player.
Nadeshot is not the only player concerned about this practice. Frequent Call of Duty leaker and CEO of Viral Junkie, Tom Henderson, tweeted about reverse boosting in Call of Duty, pointing out that it is not new. Even the developers of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War have pointed out that SBMM has been part of the franchise for years.
Many fans argue that it is not the SBMM system itself as much as the system's strength that they are upset about. So far, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's developers have made it clear that they will not be removing SBMM from the game. As a result, players may continue to find ways to circumvent the system, searching for what they consider a fair lobby.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available on PC, PS4, Ps5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.