Skill-based matchmaking is designed to level the playing field in online competitive games, but when it’s introduced midway through a game’s life cycle it can be a jarring experience. In Fall Guys, this has certainly been the case for some players – something developer Mediatonic is all to aware of.
In a Discord Q&A, the development team took some time to answer the community’s questions for the first time since the game went free-to-play. While these questions broached a number of topics, by far the most interesting response came when one experienced player mentioned they were struggling to get past round two since SBMM had been implemented.
“SBMM is something we haven’t talked a lot about and is something we’re going to continue to monitor,” lead designer Joe Walsh says on Discord. “I definitely appreciate that some players are finding things tougher than they used to (and that’s not as fun), but we have to be careful with balancing this feedback as we know that new players losing in round 1 over and over again means they’ll almost certainly turn off Fall Guys and never come back.”
“It’s crucial to the long term success of the game that new players have a fun experience with Fall Guys, and really with our matchmaking system we’re trying to ensure that those players don’t get stomped by Golden Knight wearing streamers.”
Walsh mentions that the system will also fine-tune the map pool to cater for a lobby’s experience. This should, in theory, mean players with a lot of crowns to their name won’t have to suffer through easier rounds like Big Shots and Block Party. However, many players online have reported playing the same rounds over and over again to the point where it becomes predictable and boring – and this change might explain why.
Unlike other games with SBMM, Fall Guys doesn’t display your rank or MMR, something fans want to see if Mediatonic persists with SBMM. A Reddit thread that’s gained traction since this Q&A highlights a desire for casual and ranked modes in-game, which will allow those who want to grind the ranks and play ‘sweaty’ lobbies to do that, while giving others a chance to play at their leisure elsewhere.
Walsh says that the team will continue to “monitor feedback and make tweaks” as the season plays out, so who knows what the future might hold. We might just see our Fall Guys tips guide morph into something more to consider the grind for Fall Guys ranks…