The Problem with SBMM in Today’s Competitive Games

Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) is supposed to put you in games with people around your skill level. Sounds fair, right? But honestly, after playing a lot of Apex Legends and Valorant, I feel like it doesn’t always work the way it should. Sometimes it feels more frustrating than fun. Here’s how I see it in both games.

Apex Legends SBMM

Let’s start with Apex. In public matches (the normal, unranked ones), SBMM feels completely broken. You play one good match, maybe get a few kills or win, and the next game you are thrown into a lobby full of pro-level players. People playing like they are in ALGS. You die instantly, over and over. Then after maybe four or five of these painful games, suddenly you’ll get one “normal” match that actually feels fair. It’s like a loop. One good match, then punished, then back to normal, then punished again.

Even worse, sometimes you get placed with super new players, like level 10 teammates, while the enemy squad is clearly full of sweaty Predators. It makes no sense. If this system is trying to balance matches, why does it feel so unbalanced?

Now, ranked matches in Apex are a bit better. At least there is a clear rank system (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.), so the games should be closer in skill. Respawn has made some changes too, like adjusting how your hidden MMR matches your RP. But still, problems show up. You get smurfs, which are high-skill players using new accounts, or high-rank players who started late in the season and now fall into your low-rank matches. So yeah, even ranked isn’t totally fair.

And a lot of players agree. If you check Reddit or forums, people constantly complain about how messed up Apex’s matchmaking is. Some even joke that it’s not SBMM, it’s RBMM (Rigged-Based Matchmaking), because it feels like the game purposely gives you bad teammates or overpowered enemies just to keep your win rate around 50 percent.

Honestly, sometimes it feels that way.

Valorant SBMM

Now on to Valorant. Honestly, matchmaking here feels more balanced than Apex, both in casual and ranked. Most games are actually fair. You don’t see crazy matchups like Iron versus Immortal in the same game.

Riot also seems more serious about fixing things. They’ve added smurf detection, so if a player is way better than their account shows, the system adjusts and puts them in harder matches faster. They’ve also said that five-stack games, when you play with a full team, are often the fairest ones, so they made changes to support that more.

But even in Valorant, it’s not perfect. You still get new players as teammates who clearly don’t belong in your lobby. Or worse, boosted players, who were carried to higher ranks and can’t hold their own. On the enemy side, you’ll sometimes face smurfs who drop 30 kills and ruin the whole match. It’s frustrating when you are trying to play seriously and the teams feel unfair from the start.

There’s also this idea of a “loser’s queue,” where if you win a few games, the system then matches you with really bad teammates so you lose again. I’ve felt this too. You win a few, then suddenly get a teammate who goes 3 and 21, doesn’t use comms, while the enemy team has gods on every role.

Still, I’d say Valorant is more consistent overall than Apex. You get more good matches than bad ones. Riot is actively working on SBMM, and they seem to listen to the community more. Smurfs are still a big issue though.

Final Thoughts

• SBMM is still hard to get right in both Apex and Valorant.
• In Apex, matchmaking swings too hard after one good game.
• Casual matches often stop being fun because of this.
• Ranked mode in Apex is slightly better but still has problems.
• Smurfs and late-season high-rank players ruin the balance.
• Valorant’s matchmaking feels more consistent overall.
• Most Valorant matches are fair, but smurfs and boosted players still show up.
• Riot seems to be working harder to improve matchmaking.
• SBMM should make matches fair and fun, but right now it’s very hit or miss.
• One match you’re doing great, the next you’re getting stomped.
• I just want fair games that don’t punish me for playing well.
• For now, I mostly queue with friends to avoid the worst of it.
• Solo queue still feels like a gamble in both games.

What Others Are Saying (From Public Posts)

• Many Apex Legends players feel SBMM is unfair, especially in pubs. Complaints about being matched with or against high-level players after one good game are common. (Source: Reddit discussion — “Can we be honest about SBMM in pubs?”)
• Some players report being placed with low-level teammates while facing full Predator squads, making the game feel unbalanced for mid-tier players. (Source: EA Forums — “SBMM is SO broken”)
• Others mention Apex has become too sweaty even in casual modes, with public lobbies filled with high-skill players and no room for chill games. (Source: Steam Community discussion)
• Community posts in Facebook groups also reflect similar feedback, especially about lobbies being too competitive for casual players. (Source: Apex Legends Hub Facebook Group)
• Meanwhile in Valorant, Riot has implemented smurf detection and balancing improvements. They report a 17% drop in smurf matches and faster account calibration. (Source: Reddit — Dev Update on smurfing, abilities, and more (2025))
• Riot’s 2025 roadmap also includes continued focus on smurf prevention, improved match replays, and other matchmaking enhancements. (Source: SI.com — Valorant 2025 Roadmap)

(This section was generated by summarizing public developer updates and player feedback as of mid-2025.)