An Ultimate Guide To Fortnite Matchmaking: How It Works, SBMM

by  Ievgen Dubravin Last update: November 6, 2024

Fortnite is an extremely popular online game thanks to the battle royale mode, which Epic Games introduced at the peak of the popularity of PUBG and other battle royale games, giving Fortnite and similar games a new raise in prosperity. Before this, Fortnite was purely about survival against zombies with elements of construction. Today, Fortnite features not only collaborations with musicians and various brands, but also elements of construction in the battle royale mode and a wide variety of different modes – from official modifications to custom maps. However, many players ask, “How does Fortnite matchmaking work?”. In this article, I will try to give a comprehensive answer to this question and explain why SBMM has faced problems and criticism.

Long story short, yes, Fortnite does have skill-based matchmaking, which means that players are matched with others of similar skill levels to ensure competitive and enjoyable matches. This system uses various factors, including win-loss records, kill-death ratios, and other performance metrics to create balanced teams.

Now let’s dive into the topic, and explore all the aspects of Fortnite matchmaking.

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Does Fortnite Have Skill Based Matchmaking?

Yes, Fortnite is one of the few games that features a Skill-Based Matchmaking system, or SBMM for short. This system was added in 2019. The main idea of Fornite matchmaking is for players to compete with other players of approximately the same skill level.

How Does Fortnite Matchmaking Work?

Fortnite matchmaking system gathers a combination of metrics to determine a player’s skill level and uses this information to match players with similar skill levels. In short, Fortnite skill-based matchmaking serves as a tool to make games more fair and interesting for all players. So here’s a breakdown of what Fortnite SBMM algorithm takes into account, when matching you with other players:

1. Skill Evaluation: The system assesses your skill level based on factors like wins, losses, and eliminations.
2. Player Grouping: Players are grouped with others of similar skill levels to ensure fair and enjoyable matches.
3. Cross-Mode Consistency: SBMM applies across all game modes, including solo, duo, and squad play.
4. Dynamic Adjustment: As your skills improve or change, the matchmaking adapts to maintain challenge and fairness.
5. Bot Integration: For newer or less skilled players, AI-controlled bots may be added to matches to ensure sufficient opponents.
6. Cross-Platform Balancing: The system attempts to balance matches between players on different devices (consoles, PCs) despite varying capabilities.
7. Regional Selection: Players can choose their matchmaking region to optimize connection speeds.

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Functionality Of The Feature

The skilled-based Fortnite matchmaking works in single-player mode and in teams of 2 players (Duos) and 3 players (Trios). The statistics that the system uses also include player’s wins and losses. Since the developers added bots to the game along with the updated matchmaking system, bots will also be encountered in matches with low-skilled players. When I just started playing Fortnite, half of my lobby was made up of bots.

Yet, as my experience increased, I had fewer bots in the lobby and more players of my level. When matchmaking for Duos and Trios teams, the system focuses on the player with the lowest skill on the team.

Fortnite Skill-Based Matchmaking Controversy And Backlash

In recent years, the SBMM system has been criticized by players. Both casual and multiplayer games lost popularity among fans after the implementation of this system. It’s not that bad, but it clearly needs improvement or at least not to be used in 100% of cases. Does Fortnite have SBMM problems? Yes, for sure! There are quite a few you should be aware of.

• One of the biggest issues with skill-based matchmaking is that it tends to take the element of randomness out of the gaming experience. If players constantly encounter opponents of the same skill level, they must always put in more effort and show a high level of play in order to win. In this case, the fun that was there before, when you could meet a player of a lower level who was easy to defeat, disappears. Now, everyone plays at the same level, and each match resembles the final of an eSports event. And this is because of the way the Fortnite lobbies work.
• The second popular complaint stems from the first and is that the game’s broadcasts are becoming less interesting. The element of randomness disappears, and skilled streamers meet skilled players and need to do their best. All broadcasts become about trying hard, like in eSports, and almost exclude the options of randomness, humor, and fun.
• There is also forced crossplay in the game, and this is what I personally dislike the most. The problem is not that I play on a console, and the player on a PC with a keyboard and mouse has an advantage, but in unequal conditions. This includes input lag on different platforms. Players can get up to 240 FPS in the game on PC , while on consoles, players are limited to 60 FPS. A player with 240 FPS will be faster to spot, aim, and shoot than a player with 60 FPS. On a PC, you can also change the graphics settings and turn off shadows for better visibility, but on consoles, this cannot be done (good for us!). These are not small advantages but huge differences, and they affect the Fortnite lobbies which are skill-based.

The developers present this option as an innovation. In theory, it is partly true since the boundary between devices is erased – you and your friends play from different devices in the same game. The speed of searching for players is higher since you have a common lobby. However, structurally different gaming devices have both their pros and cons, and if everyone plays in the same lobby, then some will always have an advantage over others at the start. That’s why I don’t like this crossplay feature and always turn it off, even if it means I have to wait longer for the matchmaking system to find players in the lobby. And, I am not the only one, Reddit community is quite frustrated with the mentioned issues as well.

I hope this section with Fortnite SBMM explained, along with its minuses, didn’t make you bored. But, honestly, I, as a fan of Fortnite, am disappointed with the game development and this particular system.

Can You Turn Off Fortnite SBMM?

No, there is no way to disable the skill-based Fortnite matchmaking. The game uses only this matchmaking system. When selecting players in the lobby, the system takes into account K/D and win percentage. The better you perform over multiple matches of Fortnite, the higher the Fortnite SBMM system will rank you and match players accordingly. Therefore, if you want to get into the bot lobbies, you just need to play worse, die a lot, or be AFK.

Changing Fortnite Matchmaking Region

Ideas On How To Fix The Mechanic

So, does Fortnite have skill-based matchmaking? The answer is yes, but it faced criticism and is no fun right now. In my opinion, there are  several options to fix it:

• To give new players a separate lobby, where there will be bots and other newbies.
• To leave SBMM only for rating modes and Arena, where players go to improve their skills, and remove it for regular modes or make it possible to turn it off at will.

Ideally, it would be great to implement all options – selection of regular modes without SMBB, selection of the same modes with SMBB enabled, and ranked games with the SMBB system enabled. I think this arrangement would be the best option for both new and old players.

Find People To Play Fortnite With On GameTree

Are you feeling bored with the repetitive battles against players of similar levels in Fortnite? Why not mix it up by forming your own squad or clan? If you don’t have friends who share your passion for Fortnite, GameTree and our Fortnite LFG can help you find potential teammates who do.

As a seasoned gamer, I find GameTree to be an amazing platform. It offers to join a friendly gaming community section where you can interact with other players and coordinate joint matches. I have made a lot of friends on GameTree, and we often play this Epic Games’ Battle Royale together. The platform uses artificial intelligence to analyze your skill level and playing style, which helps in suggesting joining teams and other players that match your interests. Overall, GameTree is a great platform for gamers who want to connect with other players and discover new games.