Highlights

  • Sledgehammer Games is testing persistent lobbies in MW3 to allow users to stay together after matches for easier voting on the next maps.
  • Some players are offered the choice to remain in lobbies after matches end, a potential improvement if the test goes well.
  • Despite allowing users to stay in lobbies, SBMM will likely still be used to ensure fair team distribution in follow-up matches.

Sledgehammer Games is testing the return of persistent lobbies in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a feature not seen in the franchise for years. The feature may be rolled out to all Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 lobbies if the test is successful.

Like many multiplayer games, Call of Duty infamously uses skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) to create teams with even skill distributions. However, some fans disagree on whether Call of Duty is more of a casual game or a competitive one, with the former making SBMM seem like a frustrating and unnecessary feature. A side effect of Call of Duty's SBMM system is that lobbies are disbanded after a match concludes so that even teams can be built from scratch. However, it seems that Modern Warfare 3's developers are preparing to make this aspect of SBMM optional.

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Call of Duty news Twitter account charlieINTEL posted an image of Sledgehammer's newest experimental feature, which gives users the choice to remain in the same lobby after a match ends. Currently, the option is only shown in certain lobbies and seems to work as intended. All users who opt to stay in the lobby are automatically returned to the pregame screen together to begin voting on the next map, and any empty slots are filled with new players. Sledgehammer teased this improvement way back in November when they said the feature would be rolled out to all players if the test went well.

Some MW3 Matches Allowing Users to Stay in Lobby Instead of Re-Queuing

Those who dislike Call of Duty's SBMM shouldn't get too excited yet, as the new improvement still allows for the system to be used. A follow-up match will likely see teams shuffled around if lost members cause the skill distribution to become unbalanced, and fresh players will likely be chosen based on how they fit into the lobby's needs.

Call of Duty has more promising features on the way, like the recently leaked parkour map for Modern Warfare 3, which is quite a departure from usual Call of Duty gameplay. The map, which is speculated to launch later in Season 3, features a Retrowave art style and various movement-based challenges for users to complete.

Call of Duty dataminers also found evidence of two classic weapons that could be added to Modern Warfare 3 later on. The WWII-era Kar98k sniper and more modern SPAS-12 shotgun were spotted within the game's files following the Season 3 update. Both are fan-favorite weapons among Call of Duty fans, making them seem like possible candidates to headline a future battle pass.