Call Of Duty Is Introducing A New “Classic” Matchmaking System In Season 5

Season 5 arrives to Black Ops 7 on July 23, and Activision has revealed the season is also being paired with a new multiplayer matchmaking system inspired by the older Call of Duty games. Here we highlight all the modes affected and what you need to know before Season 5 launches.

Call of Duty's matchmaking has long been a hot topic of the community, and Black Ops 7 was the first title in years to receive a matchmaking system that didn't heavily favor a skill-based formula. The game currently features "Open" playlists, which Activision previously described as only including "minimal skill consideration," or, in essence, little or no SBMM. This was presumed to be closer to the matchmaking system of the older Call of Duty games.

Now, Call of Duty is changing matchmaking again. The publisher describes this new system as being "inspired" by the classic matchmaking of past games. This new matchmaking will be implemented in Black Ops 7's playlists for Black Ops Classic, Quick Play, and Party Games, but the current existing Open playlist will remain. 

The publisher doesn't explain how these Open and Classic systems are different, but this new formula should still lean away from heavy skill-based matchmaking of recent years.

"Over the past year, we've continued to learn a lot about multiplayer matchmaking through player data and community feedback," Activision said in an announcement on social media. "We're also excited to see all the recent love for Black Ops and Black Ops 2, which reinforced that there are many elements of those experiences that players appreciate."

The publisher's statement suggests this change could stem from the recent success of the Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2 ports for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. 

Activision confirmed that the Modern Warfare 4 beta will feature Open playlist options, which will presumably feel similar to the matchmaking system of Black Ops 7's current Open playlists. However, any success around this new system introduced in Season 5 could potentially influence a change to matchmaking for Modern Warfare 4 as well.

Hopefully Activision will provide more clarity on the differences between the two matchmaking systems. Until then, make sure to check out all the details on Season 5 of Call of Duty, which includes a new battle pass, featuring two new guns and a popular operator from previous Black Ops games. There's also a multiplayer map that puts players inside a pinball machine themed around the Nuketown map.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to release for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and PC on October 23.