Battlefield 6 SBMM vs. Call of Duty: What Really Sets Them Apart

Time to talk about everyone's favorite topic in shooters: SBMM. I know, I know. But Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 are taking two noticeably different routes here, and it actually matters for how sweaty your matches feel.

Battlefield 6 is leaning on connection first, skill second

In a press briefing relayed by CharlieIntel on Aug 3, 2025, EA and DICE laid out how Battlefield 6 is handling matchmaking. The short version: it is not trying to box you into lobbies strictly by your kill/death history. The game is tuned to prioritize latency and stability, then sprinkle in some light skill consideration so matches do not turn into either a stomp or a steamroll.

• Ping
• Player location
• Server availability
• A skill factor (deprioritized)

Those priorities shift a bit depending on the mode and player count, but the intent is clear: get you on a nearby, healthy server first, and only then look at performance. The result should be mixed lobbies with both veterans and casual players, not a constant ranked-mode vibe.

Skill is 'far down in the list' when Battlefield 6 is building lobbies.

That line, shared via GamesRadar, is the key. If you are allergic to the usual SBMM tug-of-war, this is the more subtle, connection-forward setup some Call of Duty players have been begging for.

Meanwhile, Black Ops 7 is loosening up (finally)

Call of Duty has long leaned hard on hidden performance ratings to fill lobbies, often at the expense of ping. You feel it as match after match that plays like a tournament — familiar if you have ever ended a session wondering why casual quickplay feels like Champs Sunday.

The good news: starting with the Black Ops 7 beta, Activision is testing an Open Moshpit option that uses a looser SBMM model. Even better, that Open Moshpit is set to be the default playlist when the game fully launches on Nov 14, 2025. That is a notable pivot after years of player pushback.

So which approach is better?

Battlefield 6 is prioritizing connection and region, then layering in light skill logic. Black Ops 7 has historically done the reverse, but the Open Moshpit change suggests Activision is backing off the always-sweaty design — at least in that playlist — once the full game lands.

If you are chasing smooth, low-latency chaos with a wider mix of skill levels, Battlefield 6's approach is the safer bet. If you want Call of Duty with fewer ironclad performance cages, Black Ops 7's Open Moshpit becoming the default on Nov 14 might finally be the shift you have been waiting for.