Players looking to pick up the latest installment in the "Call of Duty" series this year are likely to find themselves in for more of the same when it comes to multiplayer. The controversial skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) will return for the third year in a row.

This information comes from Call of Duty leaker Tom Henderson, who delved into reports that the game will be set in the "never-ending" alternate universe of World War II. This opens the door for all kinds of fresh takes on gameplay without the developer being constrained by the need for historical accuracy.

In the thread, Henderson tells followers to "remember that this game has SBMM."

SBMM was first introduced in "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" and its free-to-play battle royale spin-off "Call of Duty Warzone," and was first introduced in "Warzone.

SBMM works great for new players by matching them up with other fresh shooter fans, but veteran players are less enthusiastic. The critique is that this feature should be used for ranked matches and somewhat detracts from the fun of casual multiplayer.

Last year's "Black Ops Cold War" also relied on SBMM, but Treyarch's Martin Donlon said that SBMM in Call of Duty is just "one of many adjustable parameters in the matchmaking system." In a Twitter thread last year, Donlon revealed that SBMM has been present in many Call of Duty titles over the years and that SBMM is just one element of how the system matches players.

To what extent SBMM will appear in Call of Duty 2021, Henderson did not specify, but given that it has appeared in many CoD titles over the years, it is likely that SBMM will be utilized to some degree.

Of course, if you're feeling butt-hurt, you can always consider "Battlefield 6," whereas CoD is somewhat rooted in the past, albeit in an alternate timeline, Battlefield 6 brings the game back to a more contemporary setting.

Both titles are scheduled to be released during the holiday season of 2021, so you have plenty of time to decide which one is right for you.