How to avoid Skill Based Matchmaking (SBMM) in MW3

Every year, one of the hottest topics of debate in the Call of Duty community is centered around Skill Based Matchmaking. This form of matchmaking has caused a decade-long controversy in the community, but there’s actually a way for you to bypass SBMM in MW3.

Technically, there are a few different methods of getting around SBMM so you can enjoy a healthy mix of skill levels in your lobbies. However, there’s only one method I have tried that completely avoids SBMM to a startling degree in MW3. So much so, that you might never go back to playing Call of Duty the way the developers intended.

To see exactly how you can bypass SBMM in MW3, check out the guide below.

Getting around SBMM in MW3

First and foremost, I’m going to preface this by saying that you need to use this method at your own risk. It’s currently unknown how Activision sees this manipulation of the matchmaking system, so the publishers could see it as an exploit of some sort and take action on your account. In my case, I have been using this method for several weeks without any word from Activision, but I still wanted to put out a small warning.

With that out of the way, there are a few things you should know about using this method of avoiding SBMM in MW3. For starters, it will require you to buy MW3 twice (unless you have a friend with an account that has bad stats who’s willing to help you). You will also need to have two different systems active at the same time and be able to control both of them at the same time. For example, you need to have two PCs, a PC and a PS5, etc. Finally, the second account you’re using needs to either be level one or have less-than-average stats.

Here’s how you can use all of these factors to avoid SBMM:

• Use your main account on your primary system and have your secondary account booted up on the other system.
• On your secondary account, begin searching for a match. Once that account finds a match, have your primary account join that lobby.
• If the lobby isn’t already full, you will join the lobby and be matched with players that are around the skill level of your secondary account. If the lobby is full, simply back both accounts out and try the process again.
• You can also simply queue both accounts together, but this will result in a more mixed lobby.

I can 100% confirm this method completely bypasses SBMM in MW3. If you join the lobby of an account with poor stats or at a low level while using your primary account, you will be matched with less-skilled players. I found that simply queueing, rather than joining after a lobby was found, with the secondary account was more enjoyable, as the players in these lobbies were a little more challenging, but not anything close to the level of skill I’m used to in my regular lobbies.

Related: How to destroy enemy equipment for camo challenges in MW3

Of course, this requires a lot to set up. You need two accounts and two systems to make it work, which isn’t something that’s feasible for many players. However, this is the best way to avoid SBMM in MW3.