Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) has been one of Call of Duty’s most debated features since its introduction in Modern Warfare 2019. This system assigns players a skill rating to match them with opponents of similar ability. Until recently, this rating was hidden, but now you can directly request it from Activision.
In April 2024, Activision published a detailed paper explaining the mechanics of matchmaking in Call of Duty. According to the paper, a player’s skill rating is influenced by several factors, including overall performance (kills, deaths, wins, losses), game mode preferences, and recent match history.
“Skill is determined based on a player’s overall performance: kills, deaths, wins, losses, and more, including mode selection, and recent matches,” Activision clarified. However, the specific skill rating remained inaccessible to players until now.
For the first time, you can see your assigned skill rating in Black Ops 6 and Warzone. This official method is provided by Activision, so there’s no need to rely on third-party services or share your data with unauthorized sources. Here’s how to access it.
- Visit the Privacy section on Activision Support.
- Click ‘Submit a new request.’
- Choose your country of residence from the dropdown menu and click ‘I have read the above terms and confirm my eligibility.
- Click ‘Proceed to privacy and data protection portal.
- Go through the blue box to ‘Access my personal information (subject access request).
- Log into your Activision account.
- Then, log into one of your linked accounts.
- Your Activision account automatically includes Call of Duty, so you can proceed to the next step.
- Once done, confirm you’re not a robot then accept Activision’s Terms of Use.
- Then, hit ‘submit request.
- Request email notifications for any updates to your request, and monitor your inbox for the data to be sent.
YouTuber TheXclusiveAce revealed this method, stating it took about a day for him to receive the email. The data arrived as an HTML folder, which can be imported into tools like Google Sheets for easier viewing. However, be cautious when sharing the raw data, as it includes sensitive information such as your IP address and other personal details.
Once you’ve received the data, you’ll have access to detailed stats for nearly every match you’ve played since Vanguard. Each match will display an assigned skill rating that changes based on your performance.
With this skill rating, you can track how your recent Warzone and Black Ops 6 matches have influenced your performance score and understand why some lobbies feel significantly more challenging. However, you can only view your own skill rating, not the overall rating of the lobby.
As this is a recent discovery, there’s no clear consensus on what constitutes a “good” skill rating. However, as more players request and share their numbers, a clearer picture will emerge.
Despite this newfound transparency, complaints about skill-based matchmaking persist in Black Ops 6. Frustrations have led to increased player dropouts, and even an NBA superstar has voiced concerns. Knowing your skill rating might provide insight, but it won’t necessarily make matches any easier.
