Par Online Games VIP Editorial
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Modern Warfare 4’s beta will test both Open matchmaking and a newer system, while Infinity Ward gathers data before deciding on the full game.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s beta will use two different multiplayer matchmaking systems, according to IGN. The test will include the newer system introduced in Black Ops 7 Season 5 alongside the more open matchmaking option that launched with Black Ops 7 last year.
IGN reports that Infinity Ward will use the beta to continue collecting data before deciding what matchmaking approach belongs in the full game. The final choice has not been confirmed, although IGN notes that the game is expected to arrive in October. The beta’s larger and potentially different player population could also produce results that do not match Black Ops 7’s recent data.
The central confirmed detail is that Modern Warfare 4’s beta will not commit players to only one matchmaking model. IGN says both systems will be available, giving the Call of Duty team another opportunity to compare how players respond to each approach in a new release.
One option is the open matchmaking system introduced with Black Ops 7 last year. IGN describes that model as more random than the alternative, which can produce a wider range of matchups and more varied games. The system was presented as Call of Duty’s response to complaints about aggressive skill-based matchmaking. Some players had argued that performing well could lead to increasingly demanding matches and make sustained success feel like a punishment.
The second option is the newer matchmaking system introduced in Black Ops 7 Season 5. IGN reports that the system is influenced by the matchmaking used in the first two Black Ops games. The Call of Duty team has said the approach was built around lessons from earlier testing, with goals that included smarter team balancing, a wider variety of matches, improvements intended to keep lobbies full, and a better experience for parties containing players of different skill levels.
Those descriptions do not establish that one system will replace the other in the finished game. They only confirm that the beta will let the team continue evaluating both. IGN says there is no firm commitment yet about which type of matchmaking Modern Warfare 4 will use when the full game launches.
Why matchmaking remains contentious
Matchmaking affects more than the names of the players placed in a lobby. It can shape the pace of a match, the likelihood of facing highly experienced opponents, the number of kills a player earns, and whether a game feels worth finishing. IGN presents the issue as a major point of debate within the Call of Duty community because the algorithm influences whether a player is overwhelmed or dominates the opposing team.
The open system was intended to make those outcomes less predictable. According to IGN, its supporters viewed the additional randomness as a way to create more dynamic match variety and reduce the pressure associated with aggressive skill-based matchmaking. That design also created concerns of its own. The source says many players ultimately found the newer system less enjoyable than open matchmaking, even after the team explained its intended goals.
There is no single confirmed measure of enjoyment that resolves the disagreement. Player preferences can differ depending on whether someone plays alone, joins a mixed-skill party, focuses on winning, or mainly wants a relaxed session. This is analysis rather than a developer finding: testing both options in Modern Warfare 4 suggests the team recognizes that the best-performing system may depend on several types of player behavior, not just match difficulty.
The dispute also reflects a tension between consistency and variety. A system that creates closer or more carefully balanced games may help some players stay engaged, while a system that creates wider differences between opponents may produce more surprising matches. Neither outcome guarantees that every player will enjoy the result. The beta should therefore be read as a test of player response and retention, not as proof that one model is universally better.
IGN reports that the Call of Duty team compared open matchmaking with the newer approach for 80% of Black Ops 7 players from launch through Season 4. In that comparison, the open option was associated with a 32.7% higher quit rate, 14.4% fewer kills per minute, a 5.3% lower win rate, and 59.2% more negative responses to a survey question about whether matches were fun.
These figures are presented as the team’s comparison, not as an independent test by IGN or OnlineGamesVIP. They also describe a specific portion of the Black Ops 7 player base and a defined period. They should not be treated as a prediction of every Modern Warfare 4 player’s experience.
IGN also reports that players quit fewer matches after the newer system was introduced. The source says some of Black Ops 7’s top players faced tougher competition under that system, but still quit less often. In the earlier open matchmaking period, players were reported to be quitting more, earning fewer kills, and saying in surveys that they were having less fun.
Those results help explain why the newer system remains part of the Modern Warfare 4 beta despite its divisive reception. From the team’s perspective, lower quitting can be an important signal because leaving matches can affect the remaining players and make a lobby feel incomplete. That last point is analysis based on the role matchmaking plays in keeping games populated; IGN specifically reports the lower quit rates and the team’s stated focus on keeping matches full, but does not provide a complete explanation of every cause behind the results.
The available information also leaves important limits. IGN does not provide the full survey wording, the size of the comparison group beyond the stated 80% coverage, or a breakdown by platform, mode, party size, or skill level. Without those details, the figures show how the team evaluated the systems, but they do not explain every reason players preferred or rejected either option.
For players, the immediate consequence is that the Modern Warfare 4 beta may not deliver one consistent matchmaking experience. Depending on which system is active, a solo player could encounter a different range of opponents and teammate combinations. A group made up of players with different skill levels could also be affected differently from a highly coordinated party.
That does not mean the beta will necessarily expose players to an uncontrolled mix of skill levels. IGN’s description of the newer system includes team balancing and support for mixed-level parties. At the same time, the source characterizes open matchmaking as more random and varied. The practical difference will depend on how the systems are configured in the beta and how clearly players can identify which one they are using. IGN does not confirm whether players will select a system themselves, whether the game will assign them automatically, or whether the options will be separated by playlist.
Analysis: testing both approaches could make feedback more useful than running only one system, provided the results can be compared fairly. A larger audience may reveal how the systems behave when new players, returning players, competitive regulars, and mixed parties enter the same test. It may also show whether the quit-rate pattern from Black Ops 7 carries over to a new Modern Warfare release.
However, a beta is not automatically a final verdict. Player populations, available modes, progression, and the novelty of a new Call of Duty game can all influence behavior. IGN specifically notes that Modern Warfare is considered the more popular Call of Duty subseries and that a fresh entry could attract new players. The source presents that as a reason the beta’s data may change, not as a confirmed forecast of its results.
The biggest unresolved question is which matchmaking system will ship in the full game. IGN says the team has made no firm commitment about the final approach. The beta is intended to inform that decision, so any conclusion drawn before the test data is reviewed would be premature.
Players should also watch for clearer information about how the two options will be deployed. The supplied reporting does not confirm whether the beta will label the systems, rotate them by playlist, assign them by region, or offer a direct choice. It also does not say whether the systems will operate identically across every multiplayer mode.
Another point to monitor is whether Infinity Ward shares a second round of results after the beta. The most useful follow-up would explain how quitting, match completion, player feedback, and match variety compare in Modern Warfare 4 itself. More detail about party size and player skill would help show whether the systems solve different problems for different groups.
IGN also reports that the beta will include quality-of-life improvements aimed at issues that have affected the series for several years. The source does not identify those changes, so their effect on matchmaking or player retention cannot be assessed yet. They are worth tracking separately because a smoother overall experience could influence survey responses and quit rates, making it harder to attribute every beta result to matchmaking alone.
For now, the confirmed plan is straightforward: Modern Warfare 4’s beta will test both open matchmaking and the newer system from Black Ops 7 Season 5. The full game’s matchmaking remains undecided, and the next meaningful evidence will come from how players behave under both systems during the beta.