Call of Duty Community Rallies Behind Petition to Scrap Skill-Based Matchmaking

Following the successful fan-driven revival of Destiny 2, YouTuber Tdawgsmitty has launched a petition demanding that Activision remove skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) from Call of Duty’s unranked lobbies. The campaign, which has already gathered more than 500 signatures within roughly an hour of its launch, marks a new chapter in the YouTuber’s ongoing crusade against the franchise’s competitive systems. The petition specifically calls for SBMM to be restricted to ranked play, where players deliberately opt for a more competitive experience, while unranked lobbies return to a more relaxed format.

Tdawgsmitty has long been an outspoken critic of Call of Duty’s matchmaking design, and his latest effort builds on a series of attempts to force the issue into the public conversation. Last week, the content creator began tweeting daily at Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, hoping to draw her attention to the matter. With that approach seemingly limited in reach, he pivoted to a strategy modeled on a recent gaming industry precedent. After witnessing Destiny fans successfully rally to bring their beloved sci-fi MMO back from the brink, Tdawgsmitty believed the same collective energy could be harnessed within the Call of Duty community.

A Petition Rooted in Developer Testimony

The petition’s description leans heavily on insider accounts to frame its argument. According to the text, former Call of Duty developer Brian Bright recently revealed that his team’s work on the canceled NX1 title centered on ping and region optimization. Bright also stated that Activision eventually began hiring data scientists who collaborated with its marketing department to advocate for more skill-based matchmaking. His statement, the petition argues, raises serious questions about how matchmaking priorities evolved within the studio.

“For players like us, today’s public matches too often feel like the same competitive experience on repeat. Experimenting with a different weapon, relaxing after work, or playing with friends of different skill levels can become frustrating. When every lobby feels like another test, the fun starts to disappear.”

Tdawgsmitty

Beyond removing SBMM from casual play, the YouTuber is also requesting clearer communication from Activision about its matchmaking algorithms, alongside the opportunity for the community to test proposed changes directly. The timing of the campaign is notable: it launches roughly a month ahead of Modern Warfare 4’s release, a title expected to deploy the divisive SBMM system introduced earlier this summer in Black Ops 7. Detractors argue that Call of Duty’s current approach is too punishing, producing matches that feel consistently unfair and feeding years of frustration across the franchise’s multiplayer.

The Destiny Precedent

Whether a petition can genuinely shift Activision’s position remains uncertain, but it is not entirely out of the question. Bungie opted to return to Destiny 2 after killing the title earlier this year, and the decision came after extreme backlash to the initial cancellation. Players made their voices heard through coordinated online protests, including a boycott of Bungie’s latest game, Marathon. The developer subsequently announced plans to restore vaulted content and continue supporting the Destiny franchise, earning an enthusiastic response from fans. Tdawgsmitty cited this outcome as proof that organized community action can produce real change.

“This Destiny news is huge for gaming. It shows we can use our voice and effect change. It’s time for the COD community to step up and get some much needed changes to the direction it’s been headed.”

Tdawgsmitty

Should Call of Duty fans succeed in rallying behind petitions, amplifying their concerns online, and voting with their wallets, the campaign could well lead to meaningful adjustments. However, Call of Duty is a massive franchise, and the scale of the operation may make it considerably more difficult to achieve the same kind of impact seen within the Destiny community.

Looking Ahead

Activision’s response to the petition is yet to come, but the studio has not been silent on the broader question of matchmaking. IGN spoke with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s lead multiplayer developers in August and asked how the studio is approaching the issue. The response reflected a cautious, ongoing stance rather than a firm commitment.

“I think it’s a conversation that we’ll continue to have. I don’t think it’s ever going to be a solved system. There’s always going to be new iterations that can be made. I think at the end of the day, yeah, we want players to be able to play and have fun. I think that we want to also make sure that they have variety in their matches. I think it’s a conversation that we should continue to have. It’s also worth mentioning that Joe and I aren’t directly in charge of matchmaking. We are focused on building cool stuff, but I think we’re looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out.”

Jacky Reynolds, Multiplayer Design Lead at Infinity Ward

As Modern Warfare 4 approaches its release window, the petition stands as a tangible measure of community sentiment. Whether it translates into concrete changes remains to be seen, but the campaign has undeniably reignited a debate that has defined Call of Duty’s multiplayer for years.