Battlefield 6 is steadily taking shape, and developers are internally debating whether to include skill-based matchmaking (SBMM). Meanwhile, EA warns that leaked content has been taken out of context and undermines the trust they’re trying to establish with the player base.

After the troubled launch of Battlefield 2042—which was plagued by bugs, missing features, and unrefined mechanics—DICE and Battlefield Studios are approaching the next installment with more caution. Their goal is to reconnect with the fanbase, and they’re doing so through the Battlefield Labs testing initiative, which is focused on identifying and refining what made the franchise iconic.

Among the topics currently being discussed within the studio, one stands out: the leaks coming from Battlefield Labs. Community manager T0TALfps criticized the repeated leaks, emphasizing that Battlefield Labs is a testing ground where “mechanics may change or be removed.” According to him, the information being leaked about Battlefield 6 is “out of context” and damages the foundation of trust they’re working to build with the community.

Is SBMM Coming to Battlefield?

While fans speculate about the potential addition of a battle royale mode and the return of class-based specializations, many are more concerned about SBMM—a system widely disliked in Call of Duty. One of Battlefield 6’s lead producers, David Sirland, addressed the issue in a closed Discord server (via Insider Gaming), explaining that DICE is currently evaluating whether to incorporate the feature into their upcoming shooter.

Sirland clarified that, if implemented, SBMM in Battlefield 6 would prioritize factors like ping and matchmaking speed. Player skill would play only a secondary role in team balancing. This is exactly the kind of experimentation Battlefield Labs was designed for. The goal is to adopt a lightweight SBMM system that maintains fun, balanced matches without making them overly competitive.

There’s no confirmed release date yet, but EA has stated that Battlefield 6 will launch before the end of the current fiscal year. Sirland added the following:

“Our goal is to generate a server that launches as quickly as possible. That’s why the skill factor is nearly irrelevant when it comes to server prioritization. Even in grouped play, it’s mostly ignored. To be clear, saying SBMM is bad isn’t a helpful argument. What you likely mean is that aggressive SBMM—where skill separation is the primary concern—is bad. That doesn’t mean skill itself is bad for matchmaking. On the contrary, we need it to build fair and balanced teams.”

Source: 3djuegos