Call Of Duty Fans, if you’ve been wading through the constantly loud debates about skill based matchmaking recently. Black Ops 7 designer Tony Flame said recently “We’ve had a hot debate going on all year long about how best to do this”. After all the feedback from the community, it’s an absolute breath of fresh air. The devs got straight to the point with a short social media message. The multiplayer scene is being divided into two vibes: Open playlists and Standard playlists.
Hey everyone, to clarify: just like in the Black Ops 7 Beta, skill will be minimally considered in every Open playlist. We've also added persistent lobbies and new playlists since the Beta, including Quick Play.
— Treyarch (@Treyarch) November 12, 2025
Here's what you'll see on day one: pic.twitter.com/cEddWYzpAn
Here’s the breakdown:
Open playlists: these types of lobbies will allow players of all levels to play together and not be matched so much on skill level.
Standard playlists: these type of lobbies will do the opposite, they will focus on the skill level matching of each player.
At launch? Nearly everything’s going Open. One of the rotating Moshpit modes is Standard and has full on skill matching.
Persistent Lobbies Are Back
Remember persistent lobbies? Those glorious days when you and your squad could ride or die through match after match without the dreaded “back to menu” blues? They’re making a comeback, just like in the beta. Treyarch put it best themselves: “Just like in the Black Ops 7 Beta, skill will be minimally considered in every Open playlist. We’ve also added persistent lobbies and new playlists since the Beta, including Quick Play”, this was driven by fan requests. Players should now be able to feel how they did back in the earlier days when playing Call Of Duty titles.
SBMM Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Optional Now
Treyarch isn’t torching SBMM entirely. It’s more giving players multiple options, If you’re all about playing ranked, hop into Standard modes or hold tight for Season 2’s full Ranked Play rollout, where skill matching rules supreme. It’s a smart decision that respects both camps without alienating anyone.
So Why Flip the Script Now?
While Treyarch hasn’t publicly explained why it chose to do this, the timing is extraordinary, given how well Battlefield has been doing with the release of its new game, which allows players to feel freer when matching up with other players. Black Ops 7 is rekindling that magic of the “pop in, have fun, log off” hook everybody had all those years ago.
The Road Ahead
We’ll have to see how this plays out post-launch. Treyarch has already hinted that it will look at the data to see which of the players are choosing to play standard or open. This feels like a win-win for the community. Treyarch seems to have listened to the feedback they’ve been given.
