Matt Scronce, design director for Black Ops 7, has addressed a long-running rumor in the Call of Duty community, confirming that skill-based damage does not exist in the game.

Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) has always been a controversial topic among players, but more recently, some have taken things a step further by suggesting that damage itself might be adjusted based on player skill.

The theory claims that higher-skilled players could be dealing less damage when facing lower-skilled opponents, supposedly to keep matches balanced and prevent casual players from getting discouraged. It’s an idea that’s circulated for years, despite a lack of solid evidence.

That speculation resurfaced again after a Sony patent from 2024—describing systems that could adjust gameplay based on skill—started making the rounds online. Some players pointed to it as proof that skill-based damage might already be in use. One streamer even claimed it was “100% real.”

Scronce quickly shut that down. Responding directly, he stated that there are no hidden systems altering damage values behind the scenes, making it clear that gunfights aren’t being secretly adjusted based on skill.

This isn’t the first time these claims have been denied. Back in April 2024, Activision explained how matchmaking works in Call of Duty and directly addressed similar concerns. They clarified that matchmaking does not affect gameplay elements like damage, hit registration, aim assist, or visibility.

The only situation that’s ever come close to supporting the theory was in Warzone’s Casual mode, where bots were found to deal more damage to higher-skilled players. However, this didn’t apply to standard battle royale matches or player-versus-player combat.

Even with repeated denials from both developers and publishers, the idea of skill-based damage continues to stick around. For some players, it’s a hard belief to shake—even without concrete proof.