By Dexerto | Created at 2026-08-10 12:28:59 | Updated at 2026-08-11 14:32:39
1 day ago
Black Ops 7 Season 5 introduced the Classic matchmaking system, which is said to be “inspired by” Black Ops 1 and 2, but players claim it has ruined the game.
Matchmaking has been a major talking point in Call of Duty ever since Modern Warfare 2019, with players feeling it was too strict, removing match variety and punishing strong performances. After years of complaints, Black Ops 7 launched with Open matchmaking, where “skill is minimally considered.”
This was a success, with players loving how quickly they found lobbies, the improved connection, and the more varied opponents.
Then, Activision announced that in Season 5, Black Ops Classic mode, Quick Play, and Party games would have Classic matchmaking, with “smarter team balancing, wide match variety, improvements that help keep matches full, and a better experience for mixed-level parties.” However, it hasn’t gone down well with the community.
Over the past year, we've continued to learn a lot about Multiplayer matchmaking through player data and community feedback. We’re also excited to see all the recent love for Black Ops and Black Ops II, which reinforced that there are many elements of those experiences that…
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) July 22, 2026
BO7 players say new matchmaking is a “nightmare”
Ever since it arrived, it’s been heavily criticised, with players saying it has reverted skill-based matchmaking back to how it was in MW19, spoiling the multiplayer experience. Reddit has been full of these complaints, with a recent post calling it “unbearable.”
“This new matchmaking is just as if not more strict than what we’ve been dealing with the last several years,” said user SlightFinger7096. “I put a lot of hours in BO7 and it’s just a nightmare to play now.”
“The connection prioritized, low skill consideration matchmaking was the best part of this game. It was advertised as a selling point of the game,” said another player. “They pulled the rug out from under us and destroyed the multiplayer.”
Popular YouTuber TheXclusiveAce weighed in, saying he “can’t believe how they turned my favorite modern CoD into such a terrible experience literally overnight.”
I'm sorry for being so negative and essentially only tweeting about this lately but I just can't believe how they turned my favorite modern CoD into such a terrible experience literally overnight with the S5 update and I feel the need to voice my experiences and vent a little.
— Xclusive Ace (@TheXclusiveAce) August 9, 2026
Some players believe this new Classic matchmaking will be the default in MW4, as the devs said they’ll “also include Open playlist options in the upcoming Modern Warfare 4 Beta.” This has tons of players worried, with some even saying they’ve canceled their pre-order.
Modern Warfare 4’s Early Access Beta kicks off on August 21, so we’ll get a better idea of how matchmaking will work then. Then, Black Ops 7 Season 5 Reloaded is expected in early September, so we may get more updates on matchmaking with the update.
