Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s beta will utilize a divisive new matchmaking system in addition to the open matchmaking introduced last year.
Matchmaking is an extremely hot topic within the Call of Duty community, as it can dictate how much fun you might have playing online. Are you going to get steamrolled? Are you going to absolutely massacre the other team? A lot of that is in the hands of an algorithim pitting you against certain players. With Modern Warfare 4, the Call of Duty team has revealed its plans for what fans can expect in the beta this coming weekend.
In a new thread, the Call of Duty team confirmed that the beta will feature the new matchmaking system introduced in Black Ops 7 Season 5, as well as the open matchmaking system that launched with Black Ops 7 last year. The open matchmaking is seen as being a bit more random, and as a result, more varied and dynamic. This was Call of Duty’s answer to complaints about aggressive skill-based matchmaking, which some felt punished fans for performing well in games.
The newer system, which is inspired by the matchmaking in the original two Black Ops games, has raised a lot of questions. Call of Duty noted in July that the new matchmaking system builds on what the studio has “learned, with smarter team balancing, wide match variety, improvements that help keep matches full, and a better experience for mixed-level parties.” Many fans were initially confused on what exactly that meant, but many have ultimately found it to be less enjoyable than the open matchmaking.
However, the Call of Duty team has revealed that players are actually quitting less matches since the implementation of the new strategy. In the open matchmaking from last fall, players were quitting more, getting less kills, and noting in surveys that they were having less fun. They went on to note that in the new matchmaking from this summer, some of their top players were facing tougher competition, but quitting less.
As a result, MW4’s upcoming beta will make use of both matchmaking systems so Infinity Ward can continue to mull over the data and make decisions on the full game. There has been no firm commitment on what kind of matchmaking the final game will use in October, though.
We know some players like Open, but the issues were clear.
For 80% of players in BO7 from launch to Season 04, Open vs. Standard saw:
• 32.7% higher quit rates
• 14.4% fewer kills per minute
• 5.3% lower win rates
• 59.2% more “Not Fun” ratingsOn Nuketown 24/7, quit rates…
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) August 19, 2026
It’s possible the data could change a bit, as MW4’s beta could feature more players than Black Ops 7 in recent months. Modern Warfare is seen as the more popular Call of Duty subfranchise and a fresh new entry in the series is sure to attract new players during a time where there aren’t a lot of games out. Only time will tell what happens, but if you have strong feelings one way or another, be sure to make your voice heard.
In addition to matchmaking changes, MW4’s beta will offer up some much-requested quality of life improvements as well, which will fix issues that have plagued the series for the better part of a decade.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.