Skills-Based Match-Making (SBMM) might sound like a good idea in theory. Entering the online arena, you will automatically face people with the same skill level. This should be a fun and challenging gaming experience, right? This is true for many people. But this does not mean that it is suitable for everyone. SBMM is not new, but with the recent explosion of popular online multiplayer shooting games such as Fortnite, it is becoming a controversial topic.

Read on to understand the pros and cons of SBMM and why these four letters have become the talk of the town in such a short span of time!

An SBMM Primer
Games, like any other sports, need guardrails to enhance competition. In most sports regulations around the world, professional clubs must abide by the salary cap to prevent the richest clubs from simply buying the best players. Decades ago, professional volleyball introduced the position of “free man” to make the rally last longer. With the development of the skills, physical attributes, and speed of the game, sports will continue to make small adjustments to the rules.

Similarly, SBMM aims to create as consistent a gaming experience as possible for all participants. The “lobby” in-game terminology is where you meet with your competitors before diving in. It matches the players in the lobby in terms of connectivity, location, and skills.

For novice players, it is naturally a boon. Instead of jumping into public free-for-alls only, you compete with other inexperienced players to gradually learn and strengthen your skills while remaining engaged. Upgrade, the competitors in the next hall will be better. This is also a smart business-the constant influx of new players is the lifeblood of big games such as Call of Duty, Apex Heroes, and Fortnite. The last thing they want to do is shut down new players.

So, according to the principles of SBMM, everything looks good, right? Well, until you reach a certain level of proficiency and the SBMM topic becomes more interesting.

Problem With SBMM
At the upper level of games and streaming media, due to some factors, SBMM has caused a lot of trouble. One is unable to participate in casual games. Jumping into the lobby with a group of players at your level may be great for players with lower skills, but at higher levels, it can be stressful. Participation cultivated in junior games gets worse in the top 1%-the best players have fewer ways to express themselves-fewer displays and more competition.

Just like in sports at the highest level, negative strategies can also spoil the show. Enter the final of any tournament, instead of a person who wants to win the battle, it can become a person who doesn’t want to lose the battle.

However, it seems that developers have recently taken a more advanced stance on SBMM. The upcoming sensational FPS Splitgate will adopt what developer 1047 calls “loose SBMM”. There is no doubt that when Splitgate finally arrives, the pressure will increase (at the time of writing, its server crashed due to the viral spread of its beta version and the release was postponed). In any case, Splitgate may herald a healthier future for SBMM if it meets the needs of players at both ends of the skill range, it can become a precedent for online multiplayer games. A great idea can be perfected in practice in principle.

Credits: HappyMag