Modern Warfare 4 players demand SBMM removal and aim assist nerf after Early Access Beta

Image via Activision Category: Let's see whether Infinity Ward responds to the calls during the MW4 Open Beta. | Published: Aug 25, 2026 10:49 pm The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Beta has just ended, but players are already asking Infinity Ward to make major changes to matchmaking and aim assist before the Open Beta. The first beta weekend ran from Aug. 21 to Aug. 25, giving players their first real hands-on experience with MW4 Multiplayer. While Infinity Ward rolled out several updates during the Early Access, matchmaking and aim assist quickly became two of the biggest complaints from the community. Thank you for all the feedback so far. We’ve been making daily updates throughout the #MW4 Beta.Before Open Beta begins, we’ll be sharing more on upcoming changes to spawns, TTK, and movement.Weekend 2 raises the level cap to 30 with new rewards, new content, and Zodiac, our… pic.twitter.com/aZ36kNBcZL— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) August 25, 2026 MW4 players want SBMM removed Complaints about skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) resurfaced after Activision confirmed that MW4 would test its updated matchmaking system alongside an Open Matchmaking option. The updated system was previously tested in Black Ops 7, and it takes player skill into account alongside factors such as connection quality, location, platform, among others. Many MW4 players, however, felt the matchmaking during the Early Access Beta was more restrictive. Popular streamer TimTheTatman was among those calling attention to the issue. One player replying to IW’s post argued that matchmaking was the biggest problem facing the game and accused the dev of ignoring the issue. “More communication on matchmaking would be really nice and maybe just revert it,” the player wrote. Can you also address the matchmaking in MW4? That’s the biggest topic on everyone’s mind right now. You’re ignoring us and only responding to feedback on other things instead of matchmaking.Matchmaking is the most important thing in every CoD game it determines whether people…— FluxNinja (@FluxNinjaa) August 25, 2026 Similar complaints appeared across the MW4 community, with some players on Reddit saying they were consistently placed into sweaty lobbies despite playing casually. Not everyone agrees that the MW4 Beta’s matchmaking was necessarily too strict, though. Some players pointed out that the Early Access player base was made up largely of dedicated CoD gamers who were more likely to play competitively, and that could change once the Open Beta brings in more players. Aim assist also comes under fire Aim assist has become another big talking point following the first beta weekend. Players have complained that controller aim assist tracks targets too aggressively. Interestingly, the criticism has not come exclusively from MnK players, with some controller users also saying the current AA feels too strong. A widely shared Reddit post featured several clips showcasing MW4‘s aim assist that’s seemingly overpowered. In one of the clips, OpTic Texas star Brandon “Dashy” Otell described the aim assist as “way too good” and said it should be nerfed. Aim assist needs to be toned down. Screenshot by Dot Esports Calls for SBMM and aim assist changes have just grown louder as Infinity Ward’s first beta updates focused on other gameplay issues. The dev released patch notes addressing problems with spawns, weapon balance, TTK, audio, and other gameplay elements. Infinity Ward has said it is listening to player feedback and plans to share more information before the Open Beta. However, it did not mention anything about matchmaking and aim assist. Players will not have to wait long to see whether Infinity Ward responds to the feedback. The MW4 Open Beta begins on Aug. 28 and runs until Sept. 1. Unlike Early Access, the second weekend will be available to all players without a preorder or beta code, including players on Nintendo Switch 2. The larger player pool should give Infinity Ward more data on matchmaking (including disbanding lobbies), aim assist, and other concerns. It should also provide a better indication of whether the complaints from Early Access were just drummed up by the smaller, more dedicated player base or by gameplay systems that really need to undergo changes before the full game launches on Oct. 23. Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy