Call of Duty is currently navigating through challenging times, and it's not solely due to declining player numbers, as indicated by recent data from SteamDB. As the second season of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 approaches, the developers have been vocal about their ongoing battle against cheaters. Since the introduction of the ranked mode in November 2024, the team has suspended over 136,000 accounts and continues to enhance its anti-cheat systems.
In addition to these efforts, the developers have promised improvements to server configurations, aiming for better connection quality in the future. However, these assurances are met with skepticism. The situation is dire when even prominent content creators publicly challenge the developers' claims, and Reddit is inundated with posts from players who claim to have seen no tangible improvements in server quality or matchmaking.
The community's frustration with Call of Duty is palpable, with terms like SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) and EOMM (Engagement Optimized Matchmaking) now considered derogatory within the player base. This crisis of trust is stark, and it remains to be seen how, or even if, Activision can effectively address these issues.