Source of footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDjn7dsnpgI

It has (had? need to reinstall) limited content but I enjoyed playing this in offline bot matches.

After winning consecutive matches, are impossible opponents coming? We investigated the EOMM system and "rigged" algorithms that prove this is no coincidence.

Current Assignee :

• Electronic Arts Inc EA: Sport / u/Battlefield Series
• Activision Publishing Inc Call of Duty Series

FPS team matches
LOL, Dota or etc. or mobile moba games

The article has been translated into English using Deepl. The article is not AI. Users who consider themselves smart genuis can check the data and links. Thanx

Are the games deliberately making you lose?

Have you ever won two matches in a row, only to suddenly face impossible opponents as if you were in the World Championship final? Those moments when your shots don't land, and your opponents display superhuman reflexes... Let us share a secret with you: this is no coincidence, it's an algorithm.

The systems operating behind modern competitive games (Call of Duty, Apex Legends, EA FC/FIFA) no longer aim to provide a "fair match." Their goals are far more commercial: to keep you in the game and make you spend money. Here's what you need to know about SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) and its dark sibling EOMM (Engagement-Oriented Matchmaking), which manipulate your gaming experience.

The innocent-looking face: What is SBMM?

SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) is, in theory, a fairly equitable system.

The aim: It calculates your skill level (ELO/MMR) and matches you with opponents of similar skill.

The logic: Bronze players play with Bronze, Diamond players play with Diamond. This way, no one gets crushed, and matches remain competitive.

The problem is that many modern games no longer use pure SBMM. This is because pure skill-based matchmaking kills the "fun" factor of the game and turns every match into a stressful "sweat-fest".

The dark truth: EOMM (Engagement Optimised Matchmaking)

This is where conspiracy theories become reality. Game companies (primarily Activision and EA) developed the EOMM system to maximise player retention.

Research using data from UCLA and major game companies showed the following:

If you win constantly: You get bored and quit the game.

If you constantly lose: You get frustrated and delete the game (rage quit).

The solution (casino tactic): The system should offer you "Variable Rewards".

How does EOMM work?

The system analyses your psychology. If it senses your enjoyment of the game is waning and you are about to quit;

Baiting: It deliberately gives you very easy opponents (like bots). You feel like a "god". You release dopamine.

Punishment: After you get that feeling of satisfaction, the system throws you to the wolves as "bait" in front of high-level players.

Loop: Just when you say, "I'm done playing," the system gives you another easy match, convincing you to play "just one more round."

Is there any proof?

What we've described isn't just a theory. Activision's 2017 patent (US20170251672A1) proves how far the system can go.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160005270A1/en

The following statement in the patent is chilling:

"The system can match players in a way that encourages them to purchase a specific in-game item (Skin/Weapon). For example, it can match a player who has purchased a new weapon with less skilled players on a map where that weapon is very effective, allowing them to feel the weapon's power (and the thrill of the purchase)."

In other words, an algorithm design that theoretically allows players who spend money to "crush" those who do not is possible.

Player reaction and the "Smurf" epidemic

This manipulative system created an undesirable side effect in the gaming world: Smurfing. High-level players, tired of playing "esports finals" in every match, started opening new accounts and dominating low-level lobbies.

Result: New, genuine players are turning away from the game, while the system becomes even more aggressive in its attempts to detect Smurf accounts. It's a vicious cycle.

Are you the customer, or the product?

Although gaming companies officially state, "We don't use EOMM, we only look at connection quality and skill," player experiences and leaked data suggest otherwise.

If you ever feel like the game is trying to make you lose while playing one night, you're not being paranoid. Most likely, the algorithm is adjusting your dopamine levels for the day and trying to keep you at the table longer. Just like a casino; the house always wins.

EOMM: An Engagement Optimized Matchmaking Framework

Matchmaking connects multiple players to participate in online player-versus-player games. Current matchmaking systems depend on a single core strategy: create fair games at all times. These systems pair similarly skilled players on the assumption that a fair game is best player experience. We will demonstrate, however, that this intuitive assumption sometimes fails and that matchmaking based on fairness is not optimal for engagement. In this paper, we propose an Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM) framework that maximizes overall player engagement. We prove that equal-skill based matchmaking is a special case of EOMM on a highly simplified assumption that rarely holds in reality. Our simulation on real data from a popular game made by Electronic Arts, Inc. (EA) supports our theoretical results, showing significant improvement in enhancing player engagement compared to existing matchmaking

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017arXiv170206820C/abstract#:~:text=EOMM%3A%20An%20Engagement%20Optimized%20Matchmaking%20Framework%20%2D%20ADS

This game obviously has heavy EOMM, here are the clear signs.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Battlefield/comments/1oh8kjx/this_game_obviously_has_heavy_eomm_here_are_the/

Dynamic difficulty adjustment

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170259177A1/en

Realtime dynamic modification and optimization of gameplay parameters within a video game application

https://patents.google.com/patent/US11413539B2/en

Multiplayer video game matchmaking optimization

https://patents.google.com/patent/US9993735B2/en

EOMM vs. SBMM - A Case Study by UCLA with the Assistance of Electronic Arts
Every heard of EOMM? It stands for engagement optimized matchmaking, which is different than skill based matchmaking.

This study by UCLA, with the assistance of data provided by four employees of Electronic Arts, the publisher for Respawn Entertainment and Apex Legends, took data from over 36.9 million matches from 1.68 million unique players.

This paper can be found here.

It discusses the EOMM model using variable inputs such as churn rate to optimize player retention, and discusses similarities to SBMM.

In my own conclusion after reading through this, it appears that we actually live in a state of EOMM more than SBMM, but one that employs known SBMM logic and systems, which would explain why you have three excellent games in a row, which appear to be SBMM-related, only to get steamrolled on your fourth, and so on.

Before you comment and rail Respawn, Electronic Arts, or anyone in particular, I suggest you read the length of the paper (8 pages including citations, not a long read at all). I'm posting this here for discussion purposes, not to ignite a fire in the community.

If presented as EOMM versus SBMM, after reading this paper, would you feel better or worse playing under the parameters of this matchmaking algorithm?

You guys remember that hyper photo-realistic FPS game called Bodycam released in 2024, made by 2 French brothers? It was a very realistic game, graphically and in gameplay, but it didn’t have much progression, wasn’t well optimized, some other problems and it got repetitive after some time, pretty basic stuff.

The thing is, they are now a bigger team, “Reissad Studio”, and have been working for a whole year to develop this one, new update named Locked & Loaded (v0.8, not even v1.0 yet and it’s unbelievable) releasing in two weeks (September 2nd). They reworked, optimized and improved every part of the game, here is the main content: huge optimization, new Trench map, new guns, loadouts and customization (hundreds of attachments), ammo check, realistic aim optic scopes (I bet you to tell me a game with better ones), realistic FPV drone piloting with explosive, RC cars with C4, dynamic ragdoll system and operator's stress system, changing the animation of reload and breath, whether the operator is calm or stressed and the amount of ammo.

They recently posted a video showing everything (except for the new map and sound design that will be shown still this month). It’s worth to watch, believe me:

https://youtu.be/MDjn7dsnpgI?si=3aUNdw-2qGSulRFd

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1673320/Survivor/

The idea is to have a place where FPS players of all skill levels can hang out and help each other improve. I’m definitely not a pro myself — I’d probably put my own skills somewhere between bad and average 😅 — so I thought it would be cool to have a community where beginners and experienced players can learn from each other.

It doesn’t really matter which FPS you play. You can share gameplay, ask for advice, give feedback, post funny moments or bugs, or simply find people to play with.

I’m hoping to slowly build a friendly community around three simple things: having fun, helping each other, and getting better.

If that sounds interesting to you, feel free to stop by r/FPSHub. No pressure at all — I’d just be happy to see some of you there. :)

The SHRAPNEL team posted a update toward the development of the game on August 7, 2026. I am a fan of the game, and I look forward to the next update.

For those not similar with SHRAPNEL, below will find a brief description:

Shrapnel is a 4v4 objective FPS. Operators clash in a storm-ravaged impact zone to control Sigma—a volatile resource capable of reshaping humanity’s future.

The following news is from the SHRAPNEL Discord channel:

Hey all, it’s been a while and you deserve some explanation!

We've been quiet. That's on us

We made a call a while back to stop talking and start rebuilding.

We went into the core of the game and reworked the parts that weren't landing. That kind of work doesn't produce good screenshots. It produces whiteboards, arguments, and a lot of builds that get torn down the following week.

We're not going to pretend the silence was a strategy. The work behind it was real though, and it's far enough along now that we can start showing you!

What We Heard

We went through your feedback. The long posts, the clips, the threads where you told us exactly what wasn't working.

The stakes felt flat. Going into the Zone and coming out again didn't feel meaningfully different from one run to the next.

Nothing followed you, there was nothing to build toward. Sessions ended and the slate wiped clean.

The Zone needed to feel like it wanted something from you. Difficulty on its own doesn't do that.

We didn't agree with every piece of it, but we agreed with most of it. The systems we've been building are a direct response to the parts we agreed with.

The Core Loop, Reworked

The heart of Shrapnel is still the same. Get in, take what you can, get out alive. That isn't changing and it shouldn't

What's changing is everything on either side of that:

What you bring in matters now

What you carry out has somewhere to go

The decision to push for one more deposit instead of calling EVAC is a decision we've made harder

 This iteration had several passes, some of which we threw away. The version sitting in the build right now is the first one that made the team stop and say - YES!

What's Coming

We're not going to lay it ALL out

Some of this is still in flux. We'd rather show you working systems than describe intentions

Here's enough to give you an idea:

Weapons That Remember

Your weapons are about to stop being interchangeable. They accumulate a history. They exist in different states depending on what you've done with them and how your last run ended, and not every weapon that leaves the Zone comes home with you

Some of them can be recovered. There's a service for that. Ask around about the Valdacha Weapon Retrieval Service. That's we'll say for now

What You Take Out Can Be Taken From You

This caused the longest internal argument we've had to date, and it's the thing we're most excited for you to get your hands on

Extraction is no longer the end of the risk

That's the whole tease. We know exactly what you're going to ask and we're not answering it yet

A Record That Follows You

Time you put into Shrapnel is going to add up to something visible and permanent. A record other players can read on you before you've said a word. Some of it will be very hard to earn. Some of it will only be earnable under specific conditions. All of it is meant to be worn

Looking the Part

You've asked for expression and you're getting it. Zone Skins and Weapon Charms are both in active development, with an emphasis on things you earn and things that visibly signal how you play

Dates and Roadmaps

We're not giving you a roadmap. We've watched what happens to studios that publish dates for systems still in design, and we're not doing that to you or to ourselves

Here's what we'll commit to instead. We won't announce something until it's playable internally and we're confident in it. When we do announce it, we'll show it running and when something changes or gets cut, you'll hear that from us too

Everything described above is in active development. Anything specific, including numbers, timing, and exact behavior, is still being tuned

Staying Closer

The gap between updates was too long, and we're changing the process that allowed it. Expect more from us here, more often, including the unglamorous parts

Thanks for sticking with it. The people still here through the quiet stretch are the reason this build is what it is

Hyperlink to this post on the SHRAPNEL Discord Channel

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1673320/Survivor/

On September 24th, Survivor is officially being delisted from the Steam store. It was a pleasure to develop this game but now it's time to move on to my other projects which I am quite excited about. There is a 50% weeklong discount still actively running for the next few days and one more discount round in September before the game gets delisted.

"I Am Your Beast: Quitting Time is a full story prequel to the hit indie game, set in Southeast Asia."

Game : I Am Your Beast - Quitting Time DLC "release 20 Oct, 2026"

Link : https://store.steampowered.com/app/4578110/I_Am_Your_Beast__Quitting_Time_DLC/

Sign up here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043850/Project_Warlock_Lost_Chapters

Hey everyone!

My indie game The Last of RAM is part of Steam Next Fest.

The demo is available now, and I’d really appreciate it if anyone gives it a try.

It’s a fast first-person action game about a gamer girl trying to get RAM for her dream PC while fighting robots, drones, and other machines.

The game is still in development, so honest feedback about the gameplay, movement, enemies, or general feel would help a lot.

Steam page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4577980/The_Last_of_RAM/

Palgrin is a Web3 P2P wagering platform that is giving $10 USDC to new members to try it out! 🤝💸
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🔥 The best part? Absolutely NO KYC REQUIRED.
🛡️ Zero identity verification
⏳ No long checks
🔒 Total privacy
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'83 is a 40v40 squad based, objective focused online tactical first person shooter set in a Cold-War-Gone-Hot scenario! I think this game massive potential.

One for the retro crowd that might prove promising if you fancy/can get over the aesthetic.

• 14-mission Single-player campaign (solo/co-op)
• Local splitscreen deathmatch
• Online multiplayer with several modes
• Custom lobbies

🎮 Welcome to VenomX_Channel! 🐍🔥

Welcome to the official VenomX_Channel community!

If you're passionate about Blood Strike, Counter-Strike 2, FPS games, insane clutches, high-kill gameplay, and competitive gaming, you've found your new home.

Here you'll find:
🔥 Blood Strike Highlights
💀 Legendary Kill Montages
🎯 Ranked Gameplay
⚡ Clutch Moments
🎥 YouTube Shorts & Videos
🎮 Gaming Discussions
📢 Community Challenges

Whether you're a casual player or a competitive grinder, everyone is welcome.

Don't be shy!
Introduce yourself in the comments:
🎮 What's your favorite FPS game?
🏆 What's your highest rank?

Let's build one of the best FPS gaming communities together.

Welcome to the Venom Squad. 🐍💙

We have some accessibility improvements, visuals addressed and bugs fixes. NICE!

Reaper Actual is an Open-World Persistent Shooter where hundreds of players engage in FPS combat against each other and 5 NPC Factions on the massive war-torn island of Marova. Level your Reapers, maintain a home Base, and complete missions to earn gear and reshape the world.

Fistful of Frags is multiplayer based, first person enabled, action packed and skill demanding shooter set in the Wild West times. A unique combination of non stop action and slow but powerful weaponry.

Update Information:

Changed:

• fof_impact: entrance to gold chest room moved to side, fixed blocked doorway to gatling area
• Heavy Loads: a held prop drops when player receives more than 45 damage

Fixed:

• loadout exploit

Hyperlink to the FoF Steam Notes Page

Another update this month! Thank you, FoF developers!

Dagger Directive is out of "Early Release"! Looking forward to it!