3 min read
Call of Duty: Warzone is making a massive pivot. Following in the footsteps of Black Ops 7, the battle royale giant is officially returning to a traditional “open matchmaking” system. Game Director Pete Actipis confirmed the news in a recent Dev Talk video. This major shift arrives with the Season 1 update on Thursday, December 4.
Call of Duty: #Warzone Dev Talk
We’ve seen a bunch of questions pop up since the launch of #BlackOps7 and Pete is here to answer some of them as we draw closer to Season 01.
Our team is super excited for everyone to drop in on December 4th. Here’s to an awesome year ahead! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/VE1uVUyDUZ
— Raven Software (@RavenSoftware) November 26, 2025
How Open Matchmaking Changes the Game
For the past six years, the franchise has relied heavily on Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM). Introduced in the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot, SBMM prioritised skill levels to balance lobbies. Theoretically, this protected casual players from being obliterated by experts. However, it often forced improving players into “sweaty” lobbies, making the experience unenjoyable.
Starting Season 1, this changes. The new system prioritises connection and ping over skill. While the system still considers skill “minimally”, match placement will largely depend on connection speed. Consequently, players can get into games much more quickly. Lobbies will now be a “mixed bag” where skill levels are entirely random, rather than a uniform playing field.
Following the Success of Black Ops 7
This decision mirrors the recent strategy used by developer Treyarch for Black Ops 7. When Treyarch reduced SBMM during their beta, the community response was overwhelming. Raven Software is now following suit.
Historically, Activision argued that strict matchmaking was essential for player engagement. They stated that 80-90% of players quit matches less frequently when SBMM was enabled. Despite this, the community consistently voiced frustration with the system. Raven Software hasn’t explicitly stated their reasons for the switch, but the positive reception to Black Ops 7 likely drove the decision.
Call of Duty: Warzone Community Reaction & Upcoming Content
The player base is already celebrating. Reactions to the Dev Talk have been incredibly positive. One player noted, “Amazing year incoming”, while another simply called the news “Huge”.
Beyond matchmaking, Season 1 promises plenty of new content, including gameplay changes and quality-of-life improvements. The update also lands amidst discussions regarding the 2026 big map rotation, combat roll controversies, and new counters for flash grenades and stim shots.
Players can experience the new era of Warzone when the update drops next week.
