Destiny 2 removes skill matchmaking after much whining – only made things worse
There is a crisis in Destiny 2’s PvP. The melting pot is boiling, because for many it’s not enough what Bungie is doing for its PvP players. In addition, more and more players have been complaining about the constantly unbalanced matchmaking in PvP lately. But when Bungie goes straight to the point, the community responds with toxic comments. MeinMMO brings you up to date.
What specifically did the players complain about? Those who play PvP in Destiny 2 have several modes to choose from, such as Control (6vs6), Survival (3vs3) or this week’s PvP event, Iron Banner (6vs6).
- Accordingly, many players made the Iron Banner unsafe this week and then again criticized Destiny 2’s matchmaking system.
- Apparently it tends to form teams of very good and not so good players far too often.
- This leads to unbalanced games that are either over very quickly or drag on like bubble gum.
A few players, including Antonius-GameSager via Twitter, again indicated that they had the impression that skill-based matchmaking was still active and therefore incorrect.
Bungie says: Bungie’s Community Manager Dylan “dmg04” Gafner responded to the player’s post with a clear clarification.
Destiny 2’s current matchmaking system doesn’t combine teams based on each player’s skills to put together a match. In fact, skill-based matchmaking was shut down a long time ago and is actually still inactive for most Crucible playlists based on feedback from top-level players at the time. This was even checked by Bungie at regular intervals.
What does “skills-based matchmaking” mean exactly? Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM for short, helps build lobbies in PvP games. With the SBMM being the primary focus of a match search, a player’s skills (in Destiny 2, their K/D) are considered the most important factor in lobby creation. The player is therefore preferably sent into a match with players who are as good as himself.
The PvP community reacted extremely toxic: As a result, a fundamental discussion about matchmaking in general erupted on both Twitter and reddit.
Of the associated Reddit article on the utterance Bungie’s Community Manager even had to be banned due to tons of “extremely toxic comments”, so that a large part of the comments and replies can no longer be viewed there.
The PvP players are obviously “not amused” and are increasingly letting their frustration run free. It seems as if nothing can soothe her anymore. Neither does Bungie’s announcement that the feedback will be shared so that the development team can consider future improvement opportunities for players.
PvP has been simmering at every nook and cranny for too long, so that one spark is enough. Here, some players, like dakry on reddit only one wish:
Yes that is […] more of an evasion. SBMM and the current lobby balancing issue are not the same. I wish they would just randomize the lobbies and not try to balance them based on their perceived player skill rating.
dakry via reddit
The mood is based on a mixture of frustration and dissatisfaction with PvP in general. However, the problems with matchmaking are currently the most noticeable.
- Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) often means that good players are penalized for playing well and there is no reason for lesser players to exert or improve in a match. On the contrary, the latter even have much more comfortable lobbies with skill-based matchmaking, even if the player search itself sometimes takes longer.
- If connection-based matchmaking (CBMM) is used instead, players too often get into matches in which they have absolutely no chance, which then also significantly reduces their gaming experience.
For example, when profit-based matchmaking was activated as a test in the “Trials of Osiris”, a 2-class society was created immediately. Back then, hardcore PvP players and streamers in particular complained about it because their matches were insanely difficult if they only played against their own kind, while normal players were actually happy.
This influential protest nevertheless led to Bungie deactivating the system again.
Destiny 2 scraps new Trials of Osiris matchmaking system after player protests
Matchmaking is always a topic: Players blame skill-based matchmaking, which Bungie has now confirmed is not active at all.
But maybe that’s the right solution? At the very least, Bungie’s latest statement could indicate that the developer is considering reactivating skill-based matchmaking in the Crucible.
Skill-based matchmaking is now the lesser evil
Balanced matchmaking is actually a science in itself. Destiny 2 is no exception and the topic is correspondingly hotly debated. Especially when the build just feels unbalanced and exhausting for players too often.
- Without skill-based matchmaking, it’s virtually impossible to stop the current system from assembling lobbies and matches as it has up until now.
- With skill-based matchmaking, it would be possible to assign players with equivalent skills again and the games would be more balanced in general. It would have its disadvantages, but would probably be the lesser evil.
He thinks so too Destiny 2 player Chizerz on reddit:
Because their idea of balancing [derzeit] is to put a good player in a team of potatoes and expect that good player to be able to heave the potatoes throughout the game against a team of average players. No we currently have, SBMM would try to avoid this.
Chizerz via reddit
Most players agree on this: Certainly, Destiny 2 is not a game focused on competition. Still, many players agree that a PvP match is always the most fun when the teams are split evenly.
Of the Player Lorion97 Therefore, feels Bungie needs to find a matchmaking system that splits up the “different skill brackets and just matches that, rather than trying to find mythical unicorns to do exact 50-50 splits. […] So dividing the player base into thirds or quarters shouldn’t be an impossible task.”
What would your solution look like? Would you welcome the reactivation of skill-based matchmaking? Or do you think the problem lies elsewhere? We want to know your opinion on matchmaking, so please let us know in the comments.
Reference-mein-mmo.de
Leave the top half of players in connection-based matchmaking and the bottom half of players in skill-based matchmaking. You’ll have throwers and smurfs like every game, but the others make it work without throwing famous streamers in with brand new players. Also keep in mind the hardcore players will always complain. Find a common ground like this.
that’s not really possible to do cbmm and sbmm are too different things I want think needs to happen is to bring Sbmm in but only for things where it matters like trails and comp and its soon replacement is to allow streamers to have their easy matches in the casual mode, iron banner, rumble and, whatever the weekly match type is, but allows everyone else to get matches that they have more of a chance at winning. this is the most probable solution, personally, I would like a ranking system in place that ranks players based on their skill level like in most PVP games, but I see why this isn’t a thing as that would make paid carries more of a thing.
Make it random, no attempt to filter players since they can’t figure it out (as usual)
I’d rather a 10% chance of finding an average team to join me, than continue to carry potatoes while I get forced to fight stacked teams in a penalized environment. Or stop looping campaign quests and exotics to such a failed side of the game. PvP won’t ever be as popular is PvE, stop trying!