Call of Duty Needs to Remove Skill-Based Matchmaking for it to be Successful Again
Modern Warfare 4 has been widely praised as one of the better Call of Duty titles in recent years, but new player engagement data from analytics firm Circana reveals significant launch struggles. Despite critical acclaim, the game failed to attract strong player numbers at launch, particularly on console platforms.
Circana’s data shows concerning declines in active player share compared to the previous entry, Black Ops 7. On PlayStation 5 in the US, active players dropped from 23% to 19%, while Xbox experienced an even steeper decline from 29% to 17%. The sharp Xbox downturn is attributed in part to Black Ops 7’s availability on Game Pass at launch, which boosted its player base.
The sole positive for Modern Warfare 4 came on PC via Steam, where it increased from 1.5% to 4.2% of the playerbase. However, these gains were not enough to offset console losses. The overall figures reveal a troubling disconnect: a critically successful game has failed to translate positive reception into strong player retention at launch.
The article’s headline suggests skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) as a potential contributing factor to the franchise’s recent struggles, though the provided excerpt does not elaborate on specific player feedback or the full analysis.