Infinity Ward is promising a clearer answer on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's matchmaking before launch, but the studio has not confirmed whether the new game will use skill-based matchmaking in the way players usually mean it. Co-studio head Mark Grigsby replied to a fan question about SBMM by saying, "All will be revealed soon, and transparent," according to GamesRadar.
That short response lands in the middle of one of Call of Duty's longest-running multiplayer arguments. SBMM can keep matches closer by pairing players of similar ability, but parts of the community argue that it makes public lobbies feel too competitive, especially when ranked modes already exist for players who want stricter skill matching.
Modern Warfare 4 is a big stage for that debate because Infinity Ward is already pitching the game as a broad multiplayer reset. The official Call of Duty reveal says the October 23 release will include 12 core 6v6 maps, dedicated Gunfight maps, multiple Big War maps and a new Kill Block mode where the training facility changes between rounds.
Modern Warfare 4 still has a major multiplayer question open
Activision's own reveal has detailed plenty of Modern Warfare 4's multiplayer direction, including its Ballistic Authority gunplay system, reworked movement, deeper Create-a-Class options and the return of DMZ as a full extraction mode. Matchmaking, however, remains one of the biggest missing pieces, partly because it affects every casual lobby long after reveal-trailer excitement fades.
The pressure is not coming from nowhere. Black Ops 7 was promoted with Open Matchmaking and "minimal skill consideration" as the default at launch, then later clarified that not every playlist would work the same way. That rollout kept SBMM in the spotlight and gave Modern Warfare 4 players another reason to ask Infinity Ward for a straight answer early.
Infinity Ward has a few months to provide it. Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, leaving PS4 and Xbox One behind. The studio has also been using the reveal window to answer other multiplayer concerns, including confirming that Modern Warfare 4's riot shield will be destructible and saying its cosmetic direction will stay grounded.
Until Infinity Ward gives the promised explanation, only two things are clear: Grigsby says transparency is coming, and Activision has not yet laid out the exact matchmaking model. In Call of Duty, lobby feel can shape the entire first month of play, so that answer will sit right alongside maps and modes as a launch question.