Overview
- Activision began rolling out a new 'Classic' matchmaking system in Black Ops 7 Season 5 on Wednesday, updating Black Ops Classic, Quick Play, and Party Games to reduce the emphasis on strict skill-based pairing.
- The publisher says the change was driven by player data and community feedback and by renewed player interest after the PS4 and PS5 ports of Black Ops and Black Ops II performed strongly.
- Open playlists that use less skill-based matchmaking will remain available in Black Ops 7, and an Open option will be included in the Modern Warfare 4 beta for testing before any wider adoption.
- Activision will monitor player response and usage data from the Season 5 rollout and the MW4 beta to decide whether to extend the classic-style system to other Call of Duty titles.
- Activision is expanding Ricochet anti-cheat enforcement at the same time, and reporting large-scale bans this year to curb cheating as matchmaking changes aim to shift how matches feel for everyday players.