Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Director Claims Activision Makes the Decision About SBMM

One of the biggest debates raging in theCall of Dutycommunity is whether or notCall of Duty: Modern Warfareshould use skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM. ManyCall of Dutycommunity members have spoken out against SBMM, saying that it worsens the overall multiplayer experience. Despite this push-back,SBMM has remained inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare, but fans directing their frustration toward Infinity Ward are not blaming the right people.

It’s been confirmed by Michael Condrey, co-founder of Sledgehammer Games and director of bothCall of Duty: Advanced WarfareandCall of Duty: WWII, that Activision is the one that makes the decision about SBMM. Condrey stated that he never directedCall of Duty: Advanced Warfareor any otherCall of Dutygame to have SBMM. He added that Activision is also the one that decides howCall of Dutygames will be monetized, not the development studio making the games. “Frustratingly little influence on those corp decisions despite their impact on our games and the COD community.”

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While many could have assumed this was the case, there are still those who blame theCall of Dutydevelopment studios for these unpopular decisions. In fact, some disgruntled fans have lashed out at specific individuals working at Infinity Ward, withsomeModern Warfaredevelopers receiving death threatsagainst themselves and their children.

Love it or hate it,Call of DutySBMM is here to stay, even if Infinity Ward or other developers don’t want it in their games. This is no doubt disappointing for someCall of Dutyfans, but there’s not much that they can do about it at this point.Call of Duty: Modern Warfarewas a massive successdespite the controversy surrounding SBMM, and so there’s no real financial reason for Activision to change its tune.

As for Michael Condrey, some fans may be wondering what he’s been up to since departing from Sledgehammer Games. Condrey is leading thenew studio 31st Union for 2K Games, where his team is currently working on a brand new IP. Prior toCall of Duty, Condrey worked on games likeDead Space, so it will be interesting to see what 31st Union comes up with for its first project.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfareis available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.