Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone enter Season 3 this week with a controversial matchmaking update that PC players fear may increase their queue times. Activision's latest patch introduces separate ranked and unranked crossplay options for multiplayer modes.
The new system divides matchmaking preferences into three categories when Season 3 launches on April 4:
- Multiplayer Ranked Play
- Warzone Ranked Play
- Multiplayer Unranked
Each category offers these crossplay options:
- On: Full cross-platform matchmaking
- On (Consoles Only): Console-exclusive matchmaking
- Off: Platform-restricted matchmaking
Activision warns that selecting "Consoles Only" or "Off" may negatively impact queue times, sparking concerns among PC players about potentially shrinking matchmaking pools.
The community reaction highlights tensions around cheating concerns, with some players arguing these changes unfairly punish legitimate PC users. "As a PC player, this worries me," wrote one Reddit user. "I shouldn't need to buy a console just to maintain reasonable queue times."
Others criticized what they see as an inadequate solution: "Instead of segregating players, Activision should improve its anti-cheat systems," commented another player. Recent successes against cheat providers like Phantom Overlay show progress, but the battle continues ahead of Verdansk's anticipated return.
Industry observers note most casual players may never adjust these settings. "The majority won't even notice these options," noted Call of Duty analyst TheXclusiveAce. "PC players will still access the largest matchmaking pool since most console users stick with defaults."
As Season 3 begins, all eyes will be on how these changes affect matchmaking speeds and whether Activision's enhanced anti-cheat measures help balance competitive integrity with accessibility across platforms.
