(AND I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT TINDER) Michelle Gimsing, business development sorceress at Code Wizards


MATCHMAKING breaks down the what, where, and why of online multiplayer matchmaking I


t’s a Friday evening and I’m doom-swiping on Hinge, praying the algorithm doesn’t shaft me again where I end up down bad for *another* emotionally avoidant crypto bro with a


Soho House membership (it was a dark time, ok?!). It got me thinking, though: in many ways, dating apps and multiplayer game matchmaking overlap – your fate lies in the hands of an unknowable algorithm, putting you face-to-face (or PvP) with people you would otherwise never cross paths with. Both can leave you waiting a little too long, only to match you with someone who wants to push with no backup whilst you were trying to take it slow. And you’re left wondering, are we out of sync or is it just bad latency? I won’t be able to explain why the Tinder algorithm inevitably


leaves you ghosted, but I can indeed explain the magic behind multiplayer matchmaking. Hold on tight!


18 | MCV/DEVELOP October/November 2025


NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION Back in the early days of online multiplayer, games like Counter- Strike were on self-hosted dedicated servers with little to no matchmaking system – you would just meet on the server. Whilst it offered players a community vibe, it could also be quite frustrating – mixing n00bs with lifers could lead to bad player experience for both. From the mid 2000’s matchmaking evolved, with titles like


StarCraft 2 and League of Legends popularising esports and competitive gaming. The shift towards competitive play pushed the necessity for automated skill-based matchmaking. This came as a direct result of players needing to compete against others of a similar skillset; something integral to ranked matches and tournament play. Skill-based Matchmaking (SBMM) uses a Matchmaking Rating (MMR) which is commonly based on the Elo system used in chess. The Elo System assigns each player a rating based on their skill,


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