Black Ops 7 Ditches Controversial Skill-Based Matchmaking — Open Lobbies Set as Default
During the Black Ops 7 beta, Treyarch tested “open” playlists that prioritized connection and location over player skill. Following player feedback, the studio says the game will launch with open matchmaking as the default and without split playlists, according to the post-beta notes.
1. Official announcement and patch notes
2. What open matchmaking means
3. Community response and examples
4. What comes next
Official announcement and patch notes
Treyarch announced the decision in a post-beta blog post. For the full details, see the official patch notes.
They wrote the change will be the default at launch. Importantly, they also said they won’t maintain split playlists for different matchmaking types.
The Call of Duty community is unmatched, and we thank you for joining us in the Black Ops 7 Beta over the last week. This Beta has provided Treyarch the opportunity to try new things and rapidly test and implement player feedback.
Building on this feedback, we can confirm that… pic.twitter.com/BKDWLCtoR2
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) October 9, 2025
What open matchmaking means
In short, the default experience will match players more on connection and location, and less on skill. This follows the beta’s Open Moshpit approach.
Here is Treyarch’s full wording from the announcement: “At launch, Open Matchmaking with minimal skill consideration will be the default for Black Ops 7 Multiplayer. Simply put, imagine the matchmaking experience of Open Moshpit from the Beta, but as the standard in Black Ops 7 on day one,” Treyarch said. “Our team feels strongly about providing players with a more varied experience, and the Beta proved to be a great opportunity to test this approach. We’ll be sharing more details as we get closer to launch!”
Community response and examples
Players pushed back in some places, while others liked the change. For instance, a now-deleted Reddit thread reported one player saying they were “completely destroyed” in open lobbies; the deleted thread is still available as a link here: the deleted Reddit thread.
Meanwhile, another discussion pointed out that being able to choose between SBMM and no SBMM was “the most laughable thing Call of Duty has ever done.” That thread is here: the Reddit discussion. In that same thread, a self-described “not that good” player said they switched to skill-based playlists and found the experience more fun.
What comes next
Treyarch said they’ll share more information closer to launch. For now, the concrete fact is that open matchmaking with minimal skill consideration will be the default at release.
As always, this could change later if player data or feedback suggests adjustments are needed. However, based on the beta tests and the studio’s announcement, the default matchmaking model for Black Ops 7 at launch is set.
