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Nonokkeli's avatar
Nonokkeli
Seasoned Rookie
6 months ago

Matchmaking in WOC

I’d like to provide some feedback regarding the matchmaking system in NHL 25’s World of Chel mode. As an active and experienced player, I’ve noticed that the current system does not take player rank into account when matching opponents. This results in highly imbalanced games, where players of all skill levels are thrown together randomly.

While I understand that you has previously stated that skill-based matchmaking might lead to longer queue times, I believe this concern is overstated—at least in regions like Finland, where peak playtime is concentrated in the evenings, ensuring a steady player base. The lack of proper matchmaking makes the experience unchallenging for higher-level players, as winning becomes a routine rather than an engaging competition.

To keep the mode engaging for players across all skill levels, I strongly urge you to reconsider implementing a ranking-based matchmaking system. Even a soft SBMM system—where rank is considered but not strictly enforced—would significantly enhance competitive balance without drastically increasing queue times.

I hope this feedback reaches the development team, as improving matchmaking would greatly benefit the longevity and enjoyment of World of Chel.

9 Replies

  • EA_Aljo's avatar
    EA_Aljo
    Icon for Community Manager rankCommunity Manager
    6 months ago

    Hi there. We are very well aware of the issues with matchmaking. We'll post an update when we have one. Thanks for the feedback!

  • Matchmaking taking too long is one of the most common complaints in the game. Adding more filters will only slow it down. This idea would only drive more players away. 

  • Stop letting gangs of elites match up against random silver and gold players in dropins. Please.

  • Nonokkeli's avatar
    Nonokkeli
    Seasoned Rookie
    6 months ago

    Read this line carefully:

    "Even a soft SBMM system—where rank is considered but not strictly enforced—would significantly enhance competitive balance without drastically increasing queue times."

    During prime time, there are more than enough players for ranked matchmaking.

  • Nonokkeli's avatar
    Nonokkeli
    Seasoned Rookie
    6 months ago

    It’s strange that this issue has been present since the launch of NHL 25, yet you keep repeating the same statement. I would be very disappointed if this isn’t fixed until the next version.

  • EA_Aljo's avatar
    EA_Aljo
    Icon for Community Manager rankCommunity Manager
    6 months ago

    This isn't a bug that needs to be fixed. Matchmaking was modified for NHL 25 with the intent to make it better. Obviously, that didn't go as planned. Filtering by rank will end up causing longer wait times for matchmaking and the idea was that people would rather get into games than wait a long time to match. We'll need to wait and see if this system is rebuilt to include the old matchmaking filters as well as takes player rank into consideration. If this happens, chances are good it wouldn't be until a future game rather than a patch for NHL 25. 

  • Big_E_Bronco50's avatar
    Big_E_Bronco50
    Rising Vanguard
    6 months ago

    Read this carefully…IT WILL SLOW MATCHMAKING DOWN…freaking clown

  • MikeyAU630's avatar
    MikeyAU630
    Seasoned Veteran
    6 months ago

    Removing SBMM increases matching times because it drives players away from the game.  New players quickly leave when they realize they are only matched against pros and will always lose badly, and good, experienced players leave when they become bored never being challenged. 

  • Honestly, with how small the player base is, if they matched based on rank, it would be even harder to find a game.  Matchmaking already takes forever to begin with at times.

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