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Game Development vocabulary · Multiplayer & Networking

Matchmaking

Meaning in game development, with examples

/ˈmætʃmeɪkɪŋ/nounCommon term

In game development, matchmaking means: The system that puts online players into matches with or against each other, based on things like skill level, region and connection quality.

In Turkish: eşleştirme, eşleşme sistemi, matchmaking

How it is used

Players complain about long matchmaking times or unfair matches. Skill-based matchmaking, often shortened to SBMM, uses a hidden rating. Developers tune the trade-off between match quality and waiting time.

Example sentences

  1. Matchmaking takes over five minutes at night because there aren't enough players.

  2. We widen the skill range in matchmaking after the first 60 seconds.

Common collocations

  • skill-based matchmaking
  • matchmaking time
  • matchmaking queue
  • ranked matchmaking
  • lobbyA virtual waiting area where players gather before an online match starts, to form teams, choose characters or settings, and wait for others to join.
  • multiplayerDescribes a game or mode in which several people play together or against each other, online or on the same device. As a noun, it means the multiplayer part of a game.
  • dedicated serverA computer, usually in a data center, that runs only the game server and the shared game world, while players connect to it instead of one player hosting the match.
  • retentionHow many players keep coming back to a game over time, usually measured as the percentage who return one, seven or thirty days after installing it.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Multiplayer & Networking

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