Activision describes matchmaking in ranked gameplay for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer

Ranked play is live in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer. And Activision has decided to explain how it works when it comes to matchmaking in a ranked game, which is different from unranked or standard matchmaking.

Ranked Play arrived as part of Season 01, available to all players who have achieved a total of 50 wins in multiplayer matches.

Ranked Game Matchmaking

While Activision’s Call of Duty team shared earlier more details and technical white paper on how matchmaking works in Call of Duty multiplayer, matchmaking in ranked play uses some unique mechanisms to take into account a player’s rank and skill rating while searching for the best possible
connection.

Ranked play takes three main search parameters into account when finding matches: player connection quality, search time, and relative skill to the rest of the available player population. When forming matches for ranked play, Activision purposefully allows longer search times to improve match quality.

Limitations on Competitive Integrity

These features include all the ways developers maintain their competitive integrity in ranked play. The limits are in place to ensure a fair and competitive experience for all players. In-game features such as load limits are designed to level the playing field, while matchmaking limits help balance pre-game lobbies.

Relationship – As shared earlier, relationship is a critical factor in the matchmaking process.

Rank, Skill, Performance – Players can progress through eight ranks. Ranked matchmaking attempts to group players of the same or similar rank. The range of eligible ranks will expand if there are not enough players available to create a high quality match in the current target range.

Each player’s individual skill rating plays an important role in finding matches in ranked play. The team starts its match searches for ranked play with a small target skill rating difference between players and expands the scope of what is acceptable over time. Matching players of similar skill levels in ranked play gives everyone a chance to make an impact in the match.

Match Time – This factor is to ensure that players spend more time playing and less time waiting for matches to start. Ranked Play lobbies prioritize competitive integrity, which sometimes results in longer match search times to build lobbies with properly matched players.

New in Black Ops 6

The core principles of ranked play remain the same: Play competitive multiplayer matches using the same settings, maps, modes, and weapon restrictions as Call of Duty League. Black Ops 6 Ranked Play comes with several streamlined features, innovations and updates:

Crossplay: For ranked play in Black Ops 6, crossplay is active for all players. This allows the largest
possible player population to maximize matching of players with others of similar rank and skill rating. The developers continue to gather feedback from the community and work closely together on all aspects, including addressing cheat messages with Ricochet, the anti-cheat technology.

Matchmaking: Ranked play at launch

Rank matching will continue to place high skill division players in matches appropriate for their skill. As more players reach higher ranks, we will gradually begin to tighten our matchmaking parameters.

Full groups of four can now play together in ranked play regardless of their individual ranks. However, skill comparison will be based on the highest ranked player in the group. Party skill limits still apply to parties of two or three players.

Updated rank system

Rank 1-50 and the skill division system seen in previous versions of the ranked game have been combined into one rank system. Earn SR and progress through 8 ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Purple, Iridescent, and Top 250. The progressive rank and Victory Stars system seen in previous installments of ranked play have been removed to streamline the experience and focus on skills.

What is SR?

Skill Rating: Advance through the ranks by earning SR by winning ranked play matches. SR is awarded after each win in a ranked game, and the amount won is determined by the player’s distance from their predicted rank, their match performance, and their margin of victory. SR is deducted after losses. SR determines your rank.

Update: Loss Forgiveness: No matter what your rank is, any player’s first loss of the day will be forgiven and will not deduct SR. This doesn’t stack up. Also, the three loss forgiveness games that are given when you are promoted to a new rank or at the start of the season now only count after losses.

Other new features

Map and Mode Veto: Before each ranked match, three map and mode combinations are presented to the lobby and ranked play teams can independently vote to veto one of the presented options. This gives players some control over what they play in ranked play and gives players and teams the ability to veto combinations of cards and modes they may not be as experienced in or otherwise want to avoid. After both teams have made their veto choices, the remaining option is chosen. If both teams veto the same option, the map/match mode will be randomly selected from the two non-veto options.

UPDATE: Season Glitch: End of Season Skill Rating Glitch has been fixed in Black Ops 6 Ranked Play to reduce the impact felt by players at the start of their ranked journey. Each new season your rank can be reset based on where you finished the previous season as follows: Players with a bronze or silver rank are not affected by the season setback and will be able to continue from where they finished each season with no deduction from skill rating.

Gold or Platinum players will start the next season in Tier I of Gold or Platinum respectively.

Diamond and higher players will start the next season on Diamond I.

Ranked Play Rewards: Ranked Play features a variety of exclusive rewards that players can earn to show their skill and commitment to the mode, including rank skins earned by reaching Gold Rank or higher in a season, rewards earned for reaching certain career victory milestones, seasonal challenge rewards and top 250 racer and #1 overall champion skin.

Coming soon: Quit: Later this season, vote with your team to end the match early if your team is blown out or you’ve lost a teammate. All teammates must vote for defeat to pass and the match is over. Lost matches are considered a standard loss and do not result in skill rating penalties or suspension. When live, Forfeit will be available in the options menu at a certain point in each mode:
Hardpoint: The winning team reaches 100 points
Control: After the 1st round
Search and Destroy: After the 3rd round