SBMM in Battlefield 6: Does the Game Have Skill-Based Matchmaking?

After hitting over 500,000+ players on Steam, Electronic Arts' Battlefield 6 is scheduled to go live on October 10, 2025, on different consoles like PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Following the multiplayer's global release, its player base's first area of concern was whether it features SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking). It's quite evident that SBMM has always been an important concern for players in a multiplayer title for years, and it has also helped them receive the best experience on servers by competing against gamers with similar skill levels, ignoring the average “tryhard" experience. Based on a report from MP1st back in August, the developers have already addressed this concern, and this might not be as bad as players are expecting. Hence, hold your breath for a bit, as this article will reveal whether EA intends to implement Battlefield 6 SBMM on the live servers.

Battlefield 6 SBMM will not feature the usual stuff you see in other titles

To answer everyone's concerns, Battlefield 6 will feature SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking), but it won't be the usual SBMM we see on other titles. In a recent X post from CharlieIntel regarding the Battlefield 6 press briefing, EA has clarified their approach to the Skill-Based Matchmaking factor. According to the post, the developers have mentioned three more areas of concern apart from the skill factor, which are: Ping, Player's Location, and Server availability. It means the skill factor will not be the major factor, but a player's ping, their location, and the availability of free servers will also be key factors in their new approach with SBMM.

David Sirland, one of the Lead Producers of the title, has made a public announcement on the Battlefield Labs Discord server, where he already mentioned the aforementioned factors, which are clear as water that a player's ping and their location have a greater impact on this Skill-Based Matchmaking in Battlefield 6. However, they're still considering the idea of creating fair lobbies in a game like Battlefield, where there are 64 players across the server, divided into two teams. Before diving into those debates, it’s also worth mentioning that the game hides a lot of depth beyond its surface mechanics, and players are already discovering 5 Unexplored Areas of Battlefield 6 that could redefine how the title is experienced post-launch.

Think from a neutral perspective, unlike generic FPS titles like Counter-Strike or Valorant, where the ranking system (based on skill) plays a huge factor before entering lobbies, it's pretty hard for developers to solely focus on the “skill” perspective in a lobby featuring 32 players on each side. Further addressing the negative air surrounding the SBMM factor. While a huge chunk of community members have positive responses towards this transparent approach of SBMM in Battlefield 6, a few of them tend to be against the SBMM, despite it being a standard thing in today's context.

The controversy emerged back in April 2025, while a playtest participant data-mined a series of codes that refer to skill-based matchmaking. David Sirland already has a response ready for it, where he mentioned that making heavy skill-separation a top priority in a game like Battlefield is a bad approach. Regardless of what skill level players will be at, it would be fun for everyone to play in a neutral atmosphere where every team will consist of low and high-skilled players.

So far, the community has responded positively towards the developers' approach regarding SBMM, and no new controversy has emerged till now. As some of us have already been a part of the beta testing sessions during August, we can easily tell that BF6 is about to return to its original roots. Players across the world have enjoyed it and are eagerly waiting for the title to go live. While SBMM is a crucial factor in any multiplayer shooter game, it will always be the ever-controversial talking point. So, instead of not being vocal about these things, we can take the true essence of it by diving into the Battlefield servers to enjoy the overall experience.