Does Fortnite have Skill Based Matchmaking?

In the world of multiplayer gaming, there are few phrases more controversial than Skill Based Matchmaking right now. With Fortnite being such a huge phenomenon within the FPS space, and with Chapter 4 having just begun, questions are often asked about the matchmaking tools that they use.

A tool used to balance games, Skill-Based matchmaking alters the pool of players that you will encounter in a game based on your performance and is controversial due to the difficulty walls players will eventually encounter.

Well, can SBMM be found in Fortnite? Here is everything you need to know.

Is There Skill Based Matchmaking in Fortnite?

Well the short answer, is yes. Fortnite does indeed have skill based matchmaking as a mechanic after it was introduced way back in 2019 during Season X.

It's not just a simple "yes" and that's it, however, with some changes having been made in 2020 after a large amount of backlash from fans of the battle royale. Now, skill based matchmaking is only available in solos, duos and trios. Squads now are free of skill based matchmaking so if you wish to avoid the mechanic for whatever reason, squads are the way forward.

For those who are dealing with skill based matchmaking, however, will find that the players they end up playing against will be altered based on the number of eliminations and victory royales they have. For duos and trios, the weakest member of the team will be the one most heavily factored when accounting for the skill based matchmaking mechanic

At lower levels, bots will be sprinkled into matches these will be replaced as players progress up the ranks.

This isn't always the case for Mobile players and those playing on Nintendo Switch, however, with skill based matchmaking being far less common, often relying on bot and low-skill Fortnite lobbies to compensate for the more difficult controls.