The beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will incorporate both a new matchmaking system and the open matchmaking introduced in the previous year's Black Ops 7. This decision aims to collect further data on player experience before the full game's launch.
Matchmaking is a critical component of the online Call of Duty experience, significantly impacting player enjoyment. The new system, inspired by the matchmaking found in the original Black Ops titles, was detailed by the Call of Duty team in July. At the time, it was described as building upon learned lessons to offer smarter team balancing, greater match variety, improved match fullness, and a better experience for parties with mixed skill levels. However, many players have expressed that this newer system is less enjoyable than the open matchmaking.
Despite player feedback, the Call of Duty team stated that player match quitting has decreased since the implementation of the new system. Data from Black Ops 7's open matchmaking showed higher quit rates, fewer kills per minute, and lower win rates, with a significant percentage of players reporting a "Not Fun" rating. In contrast, the newer system, while presenting tougher competition for top-tier players, has seen reduced quit rates.
The upcoming Modern Warfare 4 beta will therefore feature both systems simultaneously. This approach will allow Infinity Ward to gather comprehensive data from a potentially larger player base, especially considering Modern Warfare's popularity as a subfranchise. The franchise is anticipated to draw significant attention during a period with fewer major game releases.
Modern Warfare 4's beta will also introduce several long-requested quality-of-life improvements intended to address persistent issues within the series. No definitive commitment has been made regarding which matchmaking system will be used in the final October release, pending the analysis of the beta data. Players with strong opinions on the matter are encouraged to share their feedback.