Fortnite dataminers claim skill-based matchmaking is back in Squads

Connor Bennett

A Fortnite data miner has claimed that skill-based matchmaking has been reimplemented to the Squads mode, after growing speculation about a dwindling number of bots. 

No matter what game it is added to, skill-based matchmaking has been controversial with fans across the globe. Commonly referred to as SBMM, players are supposed to be matched against players of a similar skill level – but have found that it doesn’t quite work as planned.

After it was added to Fortnite in the v10.40 update, players quickly voiced their concerns with skill-based matchmaking – especially with the time it was taking to find matches. It has been tweaked, and even removed, since then, although some believe that it might be back in squads mode. 

Epic GamesSkill-based matchmaking has apparently returned to Squads.

On May 11, popular dataminer FNBRLeaks simply tweeted their claim despite it being what some Fortnite fans didn’t want to believe. “Skill Based Matchmaking has been re-implemented back in Squads,” they said, sparking confusion from much of the community.

Though there was no official confirmation from Epic Games, players quickly assumed that the leaker was correct and tweeted their different frustrations about the return of skill-based matchmaking. 

Since then, other leakers and data miners have pointed out that while a large number of ‘bots’ appear to have returned to squads mode, Epic haven’t confirmed the return of SBMM in any way, shape, or form.

“No one knows if Epic really added the old SBMM back or tweaked it, or if they just reduced the bots amount, we’ll have to wait for a tweet from epic to see what they did..” tweeted reliable leaker HYPEX.

While they do usually communicate with players during moments of confusion, Epic has remained silent on this speculation, which has allowed the rumors from both sides of the argument to run wild.

Whether they will address the speculation and confirm one way or the other if skill-based matchmaking has returned in its old form, or been tweaked in some way, still very much remains to be seen.

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