Best Call of Duty VPN: How to Avoid SBMM in Modern Warfare 3 - IGN (2024)

Can you avoid SBMM in Call of Duty Modern Warfare III? Short answer, no. Long answer, kinda? Call of Duty is all fun and games until you're absolutely tanking and there's nothing you can do about it. Have you ever felt like you were being put up against players way better than you? Have you ever had that niggling doubt that the skill-based matchmaking system was out to get you?

That might be one of those gaming conspiracies, but why not try and find out the truth? SBMM is notoriously hard to get around, but there is actually a way for you to potentially skirt this aspect of online gaming for good. No Smurf accounts, no intentionally throwing off your K/D.

What is Skill-Based Matchmaking?

If you're new to online gaming, you might be a touch confused about what the hell SBMM is in the first place. Put simply, it's a system by which players are pitted against players of similar skill levels in matches. The goal of SBMM is to create a balanced and competitive gameplay experience by ensuring that players are competing against opponents of roughly equal skill.

You can see this feature in almost all games that have an online element in which players compete with each other. The exact details and metrics of Warzone's SBMM algorithm are not publicly disclosed by Infinity Ward, but there are some general things that determine SBMM in Warzone based on available information and player observations:

• Skill Metrics: Warzone likely considers a combination of player performance metrics, such as kill/death ratio (KD), win/loss ratio, score per minute (SPM), accuracy, and more. These metrics help assess a player's skill level and performance in the game.
• Recent Performance: Recent performance is often given more weight than older matches. This ensures that the matchmaking system reflects a player's current skill level and adapts to their evolving abilities.
• Latency and Ping: Players who are geographically closer to each other and the game's servers tend to have lower latency and better ping times.
• Time Zones: Matching players from similar time zones can help ensure that players are online and available to play during similar hours.
• Team Balance: SBMM aims to create balanced teams by ensuring that the average skill level of players on both sides is relatively similar. This can help prevent one-sided matches and contributes to a more competitive experience.

Can You Get Around SBMM?

There has been a raging debate for a while now about various different ways to try and get around SBMM. Some techniques tried in the past. The fact is, none of the more inventive methods are particularly effective.

People have been known to use things called Smurf accounts, for example. This is where you run through a cycle of continually creating new accounts to lower your percieved skill level and gain an advantage when the SBMM algorithm does it's thing. This used to be effective, but since developers have cottoned on to it, it doesn't work so well anymore.

Some players have even gone as far as completely tanking it in-game to try and skew their stats and throw off the SBMM algorithm. This on has had mixed success, but honestly, who wants to spend a good percentage of their gaming time intentionally playing badly?

So, is there a way to bypass SBMM that actually works? No method is 100% effective, but we've got a better, and much easier, solution than any of the others you may have heard of.

Using a VPN to Bypass SBMM

There is one very simple way to try and get round SBMM on Warzone, and that's using a VPN.

If you're not familiar with what VPNs are, they are essentially programs that allows you to create a secure and encrypted connection to the internet. It routes your internet traffic through a server located in a different geographic location, masking your actual IP address and providing you with a new one from that server's location.

Appearing as if you are in a different region will essentially alter some of the metrics used to assess SBMM, potentially leading to more favorable matchups when you're playing.

If you're playing on a PC, then it is a super straightforward process. Here's how to do it.

1. Select a VPN Service

• Choose a VPN service provider, like ExpressVPN, that suits your needs and supports gaming. Look for a VPN that offers good speed, server locations, and compatibility with gaming.

2. Sign Up and Install VPN Software

• Sign up for the chosen VPN service and download their software for Windows.
• Install the VPN software on your PC by following the provided instructions

3. Launch VPN and Connect

• Launch the VPN software on your PC.
• Log in to your VPN account.
• Choose a server location. If your goal is to affect matchmaking, you might consider connecting to a server in a different region.

4. Launch the Game

• Launch Call of Duty: Warzone and enjoy!

How to Use a VPN on Console

Chances are that if you're playing Warzone, you're most likely doing it on a console. While using a VPN to avoid SBMM on PC is a doddle, it is a bit more convoluted when playing on your console.

It is still entirely possible, there are just some extra steps that you need to take. This is probably going to be the most high-effort part of the whole process. Just have some patience, it will pay off.

The process is different depending on the console you're using, so we'll give you a step-by-step for each platorm that Warzone is on.

Using a VPN on Xbox

1. Select a VPN Service

• Choose a VPN service provider that suits your needs and supports router installation.

2. Router Setup:

• Log in to your router's web interface using a computer.
• Follow the instructions provided by your VPN provider to set up the VPN on your router. This usually involves entering the VPN server details and configuring the connection settings.
• Save the settings and restart your router.

3. Xbox Network Settings:

• On your Xbox console, go to "Settings" > "Network" > "Network settings."
• Choose your connected network and select "Advanced settings."
• Set DNS settings to "Automatic" to ensure the VPN's DNS is used.

4. Connect and Test:

• Test your Xbox's internet connection to ensure it's using the VPN. You can do this by checking your IP address on the Xbox browser or using an online IP checker.

5. Get Gaming

• If you've cheked your console and that's all worked, then you can boot up Warzone and get stuck in.

Using a VPN on PlayStation

Getting your VPN to work on your Playstation is going to be a little bit trickier. It is still perfectly doable though.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Select a VPN Service

• Choose a VPN service provider that supports router installation or device sharing.

2. Router Setup

• Log in to your router's web interface using a computer.
• Follow the instructions provided by your VPN provider to set up the VPN on your router. This usually involves entering the VPN server details and configuring the connection settings.
• Save the settings and restart your router.

3. Computer Setup (Alternative for PlayStation)

• If your router doesn't support VPN installation, you can set up the VPN on your computer and share the connection.
• Connect your PlayStation to your computer using an Ethernet cable or by creating a wireless hotspot.
• Configure the VPN on your computer and enable internet sharing to share the VPN connection with your PlayStation.

4. PlayStation Network Settings

• On your PlayStation console, go to "Settings" > "Network" > "Set Up Internet Connection."
• Choose "Use a LAN Cable" or "Use Wi-Fi" depending on your setup.
• Choose "Custom" for the connection method.
• Select "Automatic" for IP Address Settings and DHCP Host Name.
• Set DNS Settings to "Manual" and enter the DNS server addresses provided by your VPN provider.

5. Connect and Test:

• Test your PlayStation's internet connection to ensure it's using the VPN. You can do this by checking your IP address on the PlayStation browser or using an online IP checker.

6. Get Gaming

• As long as your VPN is set up and good to go, then you can boot up Warzone and get playing.

Please bear in mind that these steps are generalized here. Each router or VPN service provider will have slightly different steps for how to do this exacntly. That said, 99% of the time you can follow the steps above and you'll have aboslu*tely no problems at all.

What's the Best VPN to Do This With?

Premium VPNs aren't cheap, but they could be worth the investment if you haven't already secured yourself one this year. You might take one look at their price tag for a year's subscription and think it's too much, but consider how much you get from them.

You can use them for so much more than just getting around SBMM. You can also use them to circumvent geo-restrictions. That's a lot of fancy schmancy tech words, but it essentially means you can unlock media catalogs from anywhere in the world. Want to watch Japanese Netflix? No problem. Want to catch the conclusion of the Women's World Cup for free? Easyily done.

One of the very best VPN deals going right now is for ExpressVPN. They've currently got a great deal on. Sign up today and you'll get yourself 49% off their 1-year deal. You'll also be getting an additional 3-months free. So at the equivalent of $6.67 per month, you're getting 15-months of coverage under one of the best VPNs available at the moment.