You also have to ask “how SBMM is being implemented” because it’s not as straightforward as one might think

The first confirmed pop up of SBMM in CoD, for example, was in Black Ops 3, where it is described in pretty good detail how it was to be implemented on its patent.

In that game, SBMM was to be leveraged to mix high skill players who spent a lot of MTXs into low tier lobbies so younger or more impressionable people might conflate having weapon skins to high tier play.

… the end goal is to push MTXs.

For more modern shooters, the argument is that it’s to balance retention with newer models of MTXs (mostly season passes).

At the end of the day, it’s a business model that aims to maximize the profitability of a game with maybe the silver lining that lobbies have a little more parity.

Source: used to play CoD for money, I have been aware of harder SBMM implementation since like… Advanced Warfare?