Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) is a hotly debated feature that is present in games. While a lot of gamers might think it is a new technology, SBMM has been in various games for over a decade in one form or another. Fortnite is one of the popular shooters that has very aggressive SBMM and players are constantly looking at ways to turn it off for better matchmaking. If you want to turn off SBMM In Fortnite, here’s what you need to know.

Can you turn off SBMM in Fortnite?

No, it is currently not possible to turn off SBMM in Fortnite. However, there is a way to get into easier lobbies by disabling Cross Platform Parties. Some players have frustrations with aim-assist on consoles and if you are a PC player, turning off cross-platform means that you will no longer match players on a different input device, which makes things fairer. Similarly, if you are a console player, you will not be matched against PC players who have access to higher frame rates and better movement techs. 

1. Launch Fortnite

2. Head to the Options menu from the lobby

3. Head to the “Allow Cross Platform Parties” setting 

4. Turn it Off 

You will need to turn it back on if you want to play with friends who are on other platforms.

Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) refers to a system that determines the lobbies that you get put into whenever you queue up. Fortnite’s SBMM tries to match players of equal skill levels against each other and while that sounds great on paper, players who are at the higher skill tiers are not a fan of the feature. Casual games feel similar to ranked matches and you have to use meta loadouts and try your best to win. 

While it is a fair point that SBMM makes casual matches sweaty for high-skill players, lesser-skilled players are protected by SBMM.  If they would constantly run into high-skill players, they would be more likely to quit the game. Casual players make up the majority of most player bases in popular games and the developers are simply more likely to retain a larger portion of the playerbase than a tiny fraction.