Skill Based Matchmaking is one of the hottest topics in the gaming industry in 2024. Players are becoming more and more annoyed at its existence, while developers continue to deny that it is a feature.
Skill Based Matchmaking (SBMM) is a feature that will match players against each other based on their skill. This means that lower skilled players won’t compete against professionals, with the idea being that this allows the lower skilled players to continue playing the game. However, if you’re of a high skill level, then every single match feels like a competitive game.
This has been a big talking point in First Person Shooter titles. Ubisoft have been very vocal about Skill Based Matchmaking in XDefiant, so let’s see what they said.
No. XDefiant does not have Skill Based Matchmaking. Ubisoft have confirmed this, and Executive Producer Mark Rubin said “I'm not a fan of SBMM. I don't like how it treats players. When I was at Infinity Ward making CoD you could see it being pushed on us from the top. I left and am now making a new FPS without SBMM. Ranked is where that belongs. I think it will be a better experience for players.”
However, XDefiant does feature a “Welcome Playlist” which has some soft SBMM inside of it. The Welcome Playlist only allows players who are level 25 or below to play, and in these matches you will be matched against players of similar skill. This allows you to learn the mechanics of XDefiant, before jumping into matches where you may compete against better players.
So far, the community seems to enjoy playing XDefiant without the Skill Based Matchmaking. It appears to be a breath of fresh air for many players, as they can now relax while playing, and not have to sweat every single match.
If you’re grinding XDefiant and looking to dominate your lobbies, check out our Top 5 Meta Weapons, and the Best Factions to use!
CHARLIE CATER
Charlie has been a freelance esports writer since May 2020, primarily focusing on Call of Duty but has written about anything and everything! He is always getting involved and looking to learn everything about esports, but is also a massive football (soccer) fan and travels around the country to watch his home team Norwich City.
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