Call of Duty Black Ops 7 is on the verge of release, but a few final announcements before launch have shaken things up in recent weeks. Following a successful trial of open matchmaking during the beta, Activision has announced that Black Ops 7 will implement it as a permanent feature at launch.

Open matchmaking should create more varied lobbies filled with competitors of every skill level, and it could make gameplay much more interesting for the average player.

In recent years, Call of Duty has gravitated towards skill-based matchmaking for its multiplayer mode, which aims to pair players with others of a similar skill level. This form of matchmaking creates a competitive environment where most of the lobby can compete fairly, but there are many players who believe it impedes their fun by limiting who they can be paired up with.

Fortunately, there are other ways to handle matchmaking besides skill and performance, such as connection or player level. This guide will walk you through what to expect from open matchmaking in Black Ops 7, plus why it might make 2025’s Call of Duty the best shooter of the year.

Open matchmaking is the opposite of skill-based matchmaking because it minimally takes player skill into account to create lobbies. Connection speed is often the primary factor used to determine who to pair up in an open matchmaking system, so matches aren’t quite as competitive.

If you like a fair battlefield, then open matchmaking may not be your preference. However, this updated form of matchmaking provides you with the chance to face off against COD fans of all experience levels. Open matchmaking is usually considered more fun than skill-based matchmaking, but it comes at the cost of fairness.

Multiplayer will feel significantly different in Black Ops 7 compared to recent Call of Duty titles because open matchmaking pairs players up into lobbies with minimal consideration of skill. Instead, the system may consider factors like connection speed while forming lobbies.

The goal of open matchmaking is to create a less competitive match where every lobby is different. Some matches might lean heavily in your favour, while others will be the opposite, but you’ll never know the skill level of your opponents until you face them on the virtual battlefield.

The open matchmaking system may be more fun since it isn’t as focused on competitive fairness. Offering a unique experience in every match due to open matchmaking, Black Ops 7 is shaping up to be the most interesting Call of Duty since Black Ops 3.

A player’s connection is often a top consideration with open matchmaking. As such, open matchmaking provides a nice boost for players with fast internet speeds. The increase in players matched with those of a similar connection speed may also increase fairness in Black Ops 7.

Though it might seem like open matchmaking is best for high-skill players, beginners will also see positive outcomes. If you play with more experienced friends, then open matchmaking lets you enter lobbies without considering their skill levels, so you’ll have a better chance of being paired with opponents in your skill bracket.

Open matchmaking is about to transform the Call of Duty franchise in 2025. Skill-based matchmaking has become more prevalent in Call of Duty throughout the last decade, but the developers listened to feedback during the Black Ops 7 beta, and now is the time for open matchmaking to shine.

Black Ops 7 is a follow-up to Black Ops 2, so fans expect to make lasting memories in multiplayer and zombies. The announcement that open matchmaking will be implemented in Black Ops 7 elicited praise from the FPS community, as it could be the start of a new era for COD.