Before we cover our list of requests, it’s important that we give credit where it’s due. We thank Call of Duty for creating games that we’ve had so much fun with over the years. We would prefer to see Call of Duty make lots of money for Activision and its employees due to successful games that all players love to play. We especially thank and appreciate developers such as Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games because they make it all happen. They have a hard job, and we understand that they’re just doing the best they can with what they’re given. They’re just like us, and we want to be allies, not enemies. That said, as the main advocates for the majority of the player base, what we want more than anything is open dialogue and a seat at the table.

Here’s what the CPU would like to accomplish:

• No flagship game like Warzone should have been launched with the amount of issues Warzone 2 and 4 had at launch. We want to see a major investment in player-facing technology, such as server upgrades and better game performance and feature sets. Consoles must be treated equally since console players make up the majority of the casual player base, and when the game doesn’t run well for them, they’re going to leave. Console players are a big part of the foundation of the pyramid and giving them a good experience should be a top priority. 

• Complete and permanent dismantling of Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM) systems and microtransaction engines, or at least more transparency and acknowledgement that they exist so players can decide if they want to participate in those systems.

• Help the online CoD community grow and mature. The online CoD community has always had a problem with racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, etc. We don’t pretend we can entirely stop this, but in our interactions on social media, the CPU strives to set an example for others focusing on positivity over negativity. 

• Always have ranked modes for players who want that, but focus on casual play in public lobbies for the majority of the player base. Matchmaking should include skill as a main factor (SBMM not EOMM). Matchmaking should prioritize connection quality but focus on protecting the experience of the majority of the player base. It needs to be able to keep high KD players out of low KD lobbies because while those few good players are more likely to have a positive experience, the rest of the lobby is likely to have a negative experience. Call of Duty has shown us data evidence of this in their matchmaking whitepaper. How long high KD players wait for a game should never take priority over the in-game experience of everyone else. Lobbies should maintain some skill diversity, but the difference in skill level between the top and bottom of every lobby should be much smaller than it is right now. This requires that lobbies should be formed based on these criteria (in order of importance):

  • Ping

    1. Players must be assigned to a lobby that gives them the best ping.

  • Skill

    1. Players must be grouped in lobbies according to skill level, which includes KD ratio, headshot %, movement, and any other measurable factors used to determine player skill level.

    2. Lobbies should include a range of skills, but a narrower range than it currently is. A 5 KD player, for example, should never be in .80 KD lobby. A 1.2 KD player could be in that lobby, but ideally they are one of the best players in that lobby. We just want to see some common sense in the matchmaking to protect the experience of the majority of players.

  • Weekly average play time

    1. People who play 40 hours a week, for example, should never be in lobbies with people who play 8 hours a week, since play time is the biggest factor that influences how good a player is at the game. 

• More investment in a continuously improving anti-cheat with the goal of detecting and preventing all wall hacking and aimbot programs, unlock tools, spoofers, reverse boosting, smurfing, Cronus, and any other system designed to manipulate or circumvent matchmaking. We understand that cheating will likely never be eliminated, but it should be a top priority to get as close as possible. All cheaters should be banned at the software/hardware/IP levels. The anti-cheat should also ban high skill players who 2 box or VPN to gain access to low KD lobbies.

• Equal seat at the table as hardcore pro players and content creators when Call of Duty wants player feedback and play testing on new games. Call of Duty should consider the opinions of the majority player base at least as much as streamers and pro players because they’re not necessarily going to care about the same things the majority cares about. For example, most casual and midcore players would prefer a smaller skill gap over a large one because they generally don't have as much time or desire as hardcore players to master a large skill gap, which immediately puts them at a disadvantage.