Scump wants to see CoD Vanguard scrap SBMM permanently, for one big reason

OpTic Gaming icon Seth ‘Scump’ Abner has re-ignited the skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) debate ahead of Call of Duty Vanguard’s early November release, and there’s one big reason for it ⁠— the CDL pro wants to bring back his famous pub-stomp videos.

SBMM has been a hot topic in Call of Duty for years.

For many, the inclusion of a “skill-based” lobby system turns the game into a grind every single match. While some enjoy the challenge, others expect Call of Duty titles to lean more towards the casual side of gaming, and believe rank-to-rank matchmaking should be held back for ranked queues and playlists.

In the past, Call of Duty has swung in the other direction, allowing the best of the best ⁠— in this case, Call of Duty League pros of eras gone ⁠— to match up with first-timers, Christmas rookies, and more casual players.

This gave rise to famous “pub stomp” videos.

Scump especially leaned into these old playlist dominations, often uploading videos of him rampaging through casual queues. In one famous video, ‘SWEATBANNIN 88-0 Flawless,’ the OpTic pro was near-unstoppable with 88 kills.

The birth of skill-based matchmaking in the last few modern Call of Duty releases has skewered any chance for those videos, however, and Abner isn’t happy.

In his most recent YouTube upload, the CDL pro turned back the clock to watch his 88-0 gameplay. While he was watching, he took aim at Activision’s decision to add SBMM to the franchise.

“A lot of people ask, why don’t you do [pub-stomps] videos anymore? You know, the simple, short answer is, skill-based matchmaking,” he said.

“It’s just not possible. You’re just not going 88-0 against players that are around or at the same level. It’s just not happening. People do get around it, they get around it, but I don’t do that. It’s the sad reality [of Call of Duty], because I know how much people loved all the pub stomps, but it’s just not really a thing now.”

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Scump wants to see Vanguard remove the feature, but admits “we’ll just have to see” what Activision does. “Trust me, I wish I could do videos like this.”

⁠Related segment begins at 0:37 in the video below.

Scump’s latest SBMM demands come as no surprise; Abner has been an advocate for scrapping the skill-based matchmaking mechanic from the Call of Duty franchise since the feature was first added way back in Black Ops 2.

His stance is that “SBMM does not belong in Call of Duty.”

Instead, the OpTic pro believes all new titles should always have a ranked playlist at launch, which would “allow people to sweat”. He added: “I’m not trying to play Scuf wielding game fuel chugging demons with szn in their psn on Miami TDM. Also, to the noobies that are gonna cry about this, hold this choppy gunny.”

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Unfortunately for Scump, it looks like the feature is here to stay: Dexerto revealed in late August that SBMM will indeed be boiled into Vanguard’s multiplayer.