XDefiant Will Only Have SBMM In Ranked Play

Gaming

May 14, 2024

Grant Taylor-Hill

It has been confirmed today by Ubisoft that XDefiant, the upcoming free-to-play first-person shooter, will only have SBMM mechanics applied to Ranked Play mode. There are no skill-based matchmaking algorithms that’ll be used to sort players in ‘casual playlists’. This is a huge win, as it means that players will – for the most part – enjoy a less challenging environment that isn’t ‘punishing them’ for being good at the game.

Typically, first-person shooters with skill-based matchmaking mechanics will pair players based on elements like their kill-death ratio, accuracy, or general skills and in-game records. This can be detrimental to a player’s enjoyment, as it means that being good at the game will result in you being matched against other skilled players. Over time, that can get tiring, and it’s not how things used to be.

No SBMM For Casual Players

xdefiant sbmm

Ubisoft confirmed that XDefiant will not have SBMM in casual playlists. Those mechanics will be reserved exclusively for Ranked Play, which is where the most skilled players will tend to gravitate. Various factors will determine who a player is matched with, but they’re typical and for the most part, expected. Here are the aspects that XDefiant’s matchmaking systems will consider when linking you with your opponents:

Latency
Avoided Players
Party Size
Region
Input Device
Platform

By doing this, Ubisoft can ensure rapid matchmaking times, focusing primarily on latency and regions. By contrast, Ranked Play will take longer to sort players into their teams, but it does so because it’s using more intelligent algorithms. Ubisoft confirmed that Ranked Play will not be available in XDefiant when the game is released – it’ll be dropping in a later season.

Further, Ubisoft also wrote that lobbies in casual playlists will feature persistent connections. That means that the players you match with will remain in your party between maps, and only when you leave will you be organised into another team.

XDefiant will be released on all platforms on May 21, marking the end of a long waiting period. In the last few months, XDefiant was delayed several times for various reasons, but it’s now making it to the market at a time when there’s a lull in the first-person shooter space. Most players are eagerly awaiting Call of Duty 2024, but aside from that, there isn’t much on the horizon.

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