Matt Scronce, design director for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, has publicly dismissed speculation about "skill-based damage" in the game. This comes in response to a recently discovered Sony patent from 2025 that outlines a system designed to dynamically adjust player abilities during cross-platform sessions to maintain competitive fairness.
The patent describes a monitoring system that evaluates two players in a single gaming session. It calculates a performance metric for each participant and compares their skill levels. If the difference between players exceeds a predetermined threshold, the system would apply "real-time augmentations" to balance gameplay. These adjustments could help bridge gaps between players using different input methods, such as touchscreens, controllers, or keyboard-and-mouse setups.
When a social media user suggested this patent might confirm existing skill-based damage mechanics in titles like Black Ops 7, Scronce responded directly on Twitter: "I promise you, there's nothing behind the scenes modifying any of our damage values." He clarified this is separate from the ongoing discussions about skill-based matchmaking (SBMM).
While the patent lacks specific implementation details, it proposes several balancing methods. These include making games easier or more challenging for individual players, restricting certain features for console users while providing mobile players with shortcuts, simplifying in-game tasks for less experienced players, and offering additional visual cues. The system could also adjust user interface interactions to be more or less demanding.
SBMM has remained a contentious topic within competitive first-person shooter communities, especially among Call of Duty players. Some argue it creates overly competitive "sweaty" lobbies by matching similarly skilled opponents, while others believe it promotes fair competition. Notably, Treyarch recently changed Black Ops 7's multiplayer to prioritize open matchmaking with minimal skill considerations, moving away from previous SBMM defaults.
Activision has previously explained that Call of Duty's matchmaking evaluates player skill based on comprehensive performance data including kill/death ratios, win/loss records, game mode preferences, and recent match history across all multiplayer experiences.
