Sledgehammer Games’Call of Duty: Vanguard, the latest in the legendary lineage of multiplayer-focused first-person shooters, is failing to hold the attention of longtime fans. A report from late April suggested thatCall of Dutylost around 50 million active playersacross bothCall of Duty: VanguardandCall of Duty: Warzoneover the span of one year. This has many focusing on a potential return to form with the upcomingCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and a new leak seems to suggest that it will correct many of the mistakes made in recentCall of Dutytitles.
The leak suggests that franchise facelifts in the form a of sequel to 2019’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfareand a long-awaited new edition ofCall of Duty: Warzonewill include a reworking of the highly-controversial skill-based matchmaking system used in recentCall of Dutygames. The system was initially implemented to level the playing field for all-comers, ensuing that less-skilled players are matched with those of similar experience levels, while high-skill players are matched with other multiplayer kingpins.
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Unfortunately, skill-based matchmaking often fails to deliver the intended effect. Most fans find that playing in lobbies full of contestants of equal skill turns average matches into grueling grindfests in which everyone needs to give their all to secure any chance of victory. In essence, it turned the often casualCall of Dutymultiplayer experience into a total chore, and, while evenproCall of Dutyplayers are urging the developers to dial things back, the problem has yet to be resolved.
The leak emphasizes a few major changes that could improve the system, one of which being the addition of bots. While this inclusion would likely infuriate more advanced players, it seems as if AI opponents are intended for players of lower skill levels. It isn’t certain if bots will be implemented in traditional multiplayer, however, as the leak only makes deliberate reference toCall of Duty: WarzoneandCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode about which little is known. Some players suspect thatbots have already been added toCall of Duty: Warzone, further legitimizing the leak.
Beyond that, futureCall of Dutyskill-based matchmaking systems will specifically look to counter smurf accounts as quickly as possible.Smurfing occurs when high-skill players create new accountsin order to play against players of lesser skill, and, though it’s a particularly prevalent practice in some MMOs, it does occur in theCall of Dutyrealm from time to time. The leak seems to suggest that suspected smurfs could be kicked mid-match or immediately after a match, though this could lead to frustration from otherwise underperforming players who sometimes manage to have great games.
