Call of Duty content creator Tdawgsmitty has launched a petition demanding the complete removal of Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) from the series' non-ranked lobbies, retaining it only for ranked play. This initiative was inspired by the progress made in previous online protests by Destiny players.
The petition garnered over 500 signatures within about an hour of going live. Tdawgsmitty has long opposed Call of Duty's SBMM mechanism and previously posted daily messages to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma for several consecutive days, hoping to draw her attention.
The petition argues that standard public matches often present repetitive, high-intensity competitive experiences, which can affect players trying out different weapons, relaxing after work, or playing with friends of varying skill levels. The petition also calls on officials to provide clearer explanations of matchmaking rules and involve the community in testing related changes.
The petition also cites former Call of Duty developer Brian Bright. Bright stated that when his team was developing the later-cancelled Call of Duty: NX1, matchmaking primarily considered network latency and region; Activision subsequently began hiring data scientists to work with the marketing department to promote more skill-based matchmaking.
This petition emerged about a month before the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The title will adopt an SBMM system introduced this summer in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Some players believe the current mechanism is overly punitive, often making matches feel consistently unfair.
Tdawgsmitty views the Destiny community's previous actions as an example of how player voices can drive change. Bungie had halted future plans for Destiny 2, but after strong player opposition and online protests, announced the restoration of vaulted content and continued support for the Destiny series.
Jackie Reynolds, Head of Multiplayer Design at Infinity Ward, discussed SBMM in August this year, stating that matchmaking is not a problem that can be completely solved and that the system will continue to undergo adjustments. She said the team wants players to enjoy the game and experience more variety in matches, but she and her colleagues are not directly responsible for the matchmaking mechanism.