Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 players anticipated a flood of Christmas noobs fresh faces unwrapping the game as holiday gifts, filling lobbies in the game’s open playlists, where skill based matchmaking (SBMM) is minimally considered. But some vets reported sweat filled matches dominated by master prestige players, sparking accusations of secret SBMM tweaks.
The Viral Claim and Dev Rebuttal
On December 26th, player @xFleXy_ vented on X: “They have cranked the ever living fk out of sbmm for the Christmas noobs lmaooo. I’ve been finding nothing but master prestige players in every lobby.” Then treyarch design Director Matt Scronce replied “No they haven’t.”
No they haven't.
— Matt Scronce (@MaTtKs) December 26, 2025
CharlieINTEL later shared screenshots, stating Treyarch confirmed SBMM in Black Ops 7 was not altered over Christmas, with Open Matchmaking unchanged.
SBMM in Black Ops 7: Open vs. Standard
Black Ops 7 launched with player favoured open playlists (Quick Play, All Open modes), prioritising connection speed over skill for, noob friendly lobbies. A throwback to pre 2019 eras before Modern Warfare’s strict SBMM “protected” newbies.
- Open Playlists: Skill “minimally considered” where you would expect mixed lobbies, including christmas newcomers.
- Standard Moshpit: Strict SBMM for balanced matches.
- Game even greeted noobs with a Firing Range prompt.
Treyarch noted rising engagement in standard ahead of Season 1, but open remains default for casual fun. Critics, including streamers, have long claimed even open feels sweatier than promised.
