Finally: Respawn Is Improving Titanfall's Matchmaking

I like Titanfall, Alec likes Titanfall, Graham likes Titanfall, and everyone else at RPS does too because Graham is our managing editor and he manages everything, including our opinions. But there is one thing that none of us particularly like, and that is the matchmaking. It's breezy yet haphazard, selecting teams based on startlingly few skill commonalities and providing almost nothing in the way of options. Now though, it seems that Respawn is finally taking steps in the right direction. Baby steps. Giant robot baby steps, but baby steps nonetheless.

Respawn outlined its near-tearm plans for matchmaking in a recent update:

"Searching for teammates and opponents will now sometimes take more time to look for players that are a good skill level match, rather than purely prioritizing speed over quality. This will give us more time to build better teams and create closer games that are worth staying in for a longer period of time."

"Rather than playing against the same opponents over and over, the game will periodically split the teams apart and search for new opponents for each team. This means if one team is dominating, we will update the skill for all of the players and then find each team a better suited match for the next round. Did you lose to a really great team? We'll make them disappear and replace them with a new opposing team - and they will have no idea that you just got your butts kicked. This should end some of the frustration with playing for extended periods when you're having an off night."

You can try the changes for yourself in a new "Improved Matchmaking (Beta)" playlist.

So it's a start, and doubtless I'm glad to hopefully spend less time stomping or being stomping with very little room  in the middle for... I don't know, in this metaphor would it be playing footsies? I am disappointed by the continued dearth of customization or options, though. No special match settings or preferences, no dedicated servers, nothing. Alas.

But Titanfall is still quite good and I like it a lot yes and also Graham Smith is an intimidatingly handsome man with features rugged as a mountain yet gentle as a fresh winter's snow.