Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 recently introduced a new form of ‘Classic’ matchmaking. Said to be inspired by the matchmaking systems found in the earlier Black Ops entries, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7‘s new Classic playlists were designed to be another alternative to skill-based matchmaking, but their launch hasn’t been met with glowing reviews.
While skill-based matchmaking has been a part of Call of Duty multiplayer since the original Modern Warfare‘s release in 2007, it’s become a strong point of contention among fans in the last decade or so. For those unaware, Call of Duty‘s skill-based matchmaking essentially aims to pair players of similar skill, using K/D ratios, win rates, and other metrics to determine who should be matched with whom. A major selling point of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 just prior to its release last year was its introduction of ‘Open’ playlists, a limited set of multiplayer modes that were said to rely far less on skill-based matchmaking. While these Open playlists were heavily praised at first, some tweaks since launch have led to some fans feeling as though the modes no longer live up to expectations.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Classic Matchmaking Isn’t a Hit with Fans
On July 22, the official Call of Duty Twitter account posted about some major changes coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 in its Season 5 update. With this update, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7‘s Party Games, Quick Play, and Black Ops Classic modes were all given a new matchmaking system inspired by those found in Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2. In the replies to this announcement post, Call of Duty confirmed that Open playlists would still exist in Black Ops 7, but that this new ‘Classic’ matchmaking system would deliver “smarter team balancing, wide match variety…and a better experience for mixed-level parties.”
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Image via Treyarch / Call of Duty -
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7‘s Classic matchmaking system has been available for a few weeks now, and the general reception has been rather negative. Popular Call of Duty streamer Xclusive Ace took to Twitter to share his first impressions of the new matchmaking system shortly following the Season 5 update. The streamer pointed out issues with players leaving lobbies due to lobby evaluation taking too long, and said that the Classic matchmaking system “felt much slower and has made [their] experience noticeably worse.”
On August 9, Xclusive Ace took to Twitter once more, this time sharing a lengthier, even more negative statement regarding Call of Duty: Black Ops 7‘s recent matchmaking changes. The streamer explains that a recent Quick Play match was dominated by highly skilled players who were using meta weapons, and that there was “0 room for error.” Xclusive Ace also writes that they “can’t believe how [Activision] turned [their] favorite modern CoD into such a terrible experience literally overnight with the S5 update.”
Xclusive Ace’s Twitter post was then shared on the r/blackops7 subreddit, where fans shared similar sentiments on the recent Black Ops 7 update. One user says that Activision “pulled the rug out from under us and destroyed the multiplayer,” while others express their frustration at the longer wait times for finding a match and the slower connection speed many are now experiencing during a match.
- Released
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November 14, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
Source: Dexerto
