In this blog, we will dive into the psychological impacts of SBMM on players, exploring concepts like motivation, stress, self-perception, and enjoyment. By doing so, we’ll shed light on why SBMM can be a double-edged sword for the Call of Duty community.
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The Psychology of Competition: The Desire for Challenge
At its core, SBMM is designed to create a competitive environment where players are constantly challenged. In theory, this should appeal to players who thrive on competition and enjoy pushing their skills to the limit. This drive for challenge is rooted in intrinsic motivation, the idea that we engage in activities because they are inherently rewarding, not because of external rewards or recognition.
How SBMM taps into intrinsic motivation:
Competence and Mastery: By facing opponents of similar skill levels, SBMM gives players the opportunity to improve, refine their skills, and feel a sense of mastery. Players are more likely to enjoy the process of leveling up and achieving incremental improvements when they are faced with competitors who challenge them appropriately.
Flow State: SBMM aims to keep players within their "zone of proximal development," meaning it matches players with others who are neither too easy nor too difficult to beat. This helps players achieve a flow state—a psychological state where players are fully immersed in the game and experience a balance of challenge and skill. When players experience flow, they are more likely to enjoy the game, feel productive, and remain engaged.
However, the pursuit of challenge can quickly turn negative when the system overestimates a player's skill or places them in a lobby that is too difficult. This can lead to frustration rather than enjoyment, especially if players feel like they’re constantly losing or unable to perform at their best.
The Stress Factor: Why SBMM Can Lead to Burnout
One of the biggest criticisms of SBMM is that it can be mentally exhausting. As players face opponents of equal or higher skill levels consistently, the pressure to perform well can become overwhelming. In Call of Duty, where fast-paced, high-stakes combat is the norm, this pressure can build up quickly, leading to a psychological phenomenon known as ego depletion.
What is ego depletion?
Ego depletion is the idea that self-control and mental energy are finite resources. In a game with SBMM, players must be constantly focused, making quick decisions and performing at their best. As the match progresses, this mental strain can lead to cognitive fatigue. If the system doesn’t allow players to take breaks from this high level of focus, it can lead to burnout, frustration, and a diminished sense of enjoyment.
Fear of Failure: The constant pressure to perform well against similarly skilled opponents can create a fear of failure. Players may feel like every match is a "must-win" situation, which increases their stress levels. When the stakes feel high, players often focus more on avoiding failure than on enjoying the game.
Diminished Reward Value: In an SBMM system, the rewards for winning may start to feel less meaningful. Since players are constantly matched with others of similar skill levels, wins can feel like a necessary outcome rather than an exciting achievement. On the flip side, losses can feel especially harsh, as they are often accompanied by the knowledge that the match was closely contested.
In contrast, traditional matchmaking systems, which prioritize connection quality and randomness over strict skill levels, often offer more "low-stakes" moments, where players can let loose and have fun without the pressure of competing against similarly skilled players.
Self-Perception and Identity: The Impact on Players’ Confidence
SBMM also has a profound impact on players' self-perception and confidence. In competitive games like Call of Duty, players often define their sense of self-worth and competence based on their performance. SBMM, by constantly pairing players with others of similar skill, makes performance an even more central aspect of gameplay. This can have both positive and negative effects on a player's self-esteem.
Positive self-perception:
For players who are performing well in the SBMM system, winning against similarly skilled opponents can boost their self-confidence. They may feel that they are mastering the game and improving over time. This sense of competence is a key driver of enjoyment, as players are more likely to return to the game if they feel that their skill is progressing.
Negative self-perception:
On the flip side, players who struggle to keep up with their opponents in an SBMM system may start to experience negative self-perception. Constantly being matched with players who are just a little better can lead to feelings of inadequacy or frustration. For these players, the game may stop feeling like a fun experience and start to feel like a test of their abilities. If the system consistently highlights their shortcomings, players may begin to doubt their competence and feel demotivated.
In extreme cases, this can lead to a decline in enjoyment, as players may start associating the game with failure rather than fun. This "competence cycle"—where success breeds confidence and failure breeds frustration—can become self-reinforcing, making it difficult for players to escape negative cycles of self-doubt.
The Diminished Sense of Control: Why SBMM Can Feel Restricting
A key element of psychological enjoyment in games is the feeling of agency—the sense that a player’s actions have meaningful consequences and that they have control over the outcome. In SBMM, however, this feeling of control can be diminished because players often feel "forced" into competitive, high-stakes matches against opponents who are at their level.
When players are constantly matched against others who are equally skilled, it can feel like they have little room to experiment or try new strategies. In other words, the matchmaking system can reduce the variety and spontaneity of matches, making each game feel like a battle for survival rather than an opportunity to try new things and explore different playstyles.
For players who enjoy experimenting with new loadouts, tactics, or strategies, the pressure to always perform at their best can feel stifling. They may feel locked into a narrow gameplay experience where every match is about optimizing performance rather than enjoying the game for what it is.
The Casual Player’s Dilemma: The Need for Relaxation
For many players, the appeal of Call of Duty has always been its ability to provide a casual escape. For these players, the game is a way to unwind after a long day, not a competitive arena where every loss feels like a personal failure. SBMM can undermine this experience by turning casual play into a stressful grind. The desire to play for fun rather than to compete can clash with the rigid matchmaking system, which continuously places players in high-stakes, competitive environments.
Casual players often want a break from the intensity of SBMM, and this is where the system falls short for them. If every match feels like a competitive struggle, it can lead to player fatigue and burnout, as there’s little room for "easy wins" or laid-back gameplay. For these players, the appeal of Call of Duty diminishes when SBMM restricts their ability to relax and have fun.
Can SBMM Be Optimized to Improve Enjoyment?
Understanding the psychological impacts of SBMM opens the door to potential improvements. Here are a few ways SBMM could be refined to create a more enjoyable and less stressful experience for players:
Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment: SBMM could be designed to adapt to the player’s mood or performance over time. For example, if a player is struggling, the system could loosen the match restrictions, placing them in a more forgiving lobby for a few matches to prevent frustration. Conversely, if a player is on a winning streak, they could face tougher opponents to maintain the challenge.
More Casual Modes: Offering more casual playlists that focus on fun and less on performance could allow players to unwind and experiment without the stress of competition. These modes could still use some form of matchmaking to ensure fairness, but the stakes would be lower.
Better Incentives for Improvement: If SBMM is here to stay, incentivizing players to improve in more relaxed ways could reduce stress. For example, players could receive rewards or recognition for personal growth (such as improving accuracy or mastering certain weapons) rather than just winning.
Conclusion
SBMM in Call of Duty offers a more competitive experience, but its psychological impact can be profound. For some players, the challenge and balance SBMM offers is an intrinsic motivator that leads to engagement and enjoyment. For others, the stress and pressure of always competing against similarly skilled players can lead to burnout, frustration, and a diminished sense of enjoyment. By understanding the psychological factors at play, developers could refine SBMM systems to offer a more enjoyable and personalized experience for all types of players, ensuring that Call of Duty continues to be fun for both competitive and casual gamers alike.
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