NA Matchmaking Changes with Update 4.2

NA matchmaking options are changing with the upcoming patch to ensure a smooth matchmaking experience.

[PC – NA Region Specific Changes]

Hi everyone,

Last month, alongside the release of Season 4, we made a significant update to the matchmaking system with the goal of improving the matchmaking experience in each region. You can read about these changes in our Dev Letter: Matchmaking System Update.

Through analyzing queue data for the NA region, it was determined that in order to sustain a healthy matchmaking experience for all players in the region, the “RANDOM MAP” option would be required. However, we wanted to ensure players could easily experience the newly updated Erangel map they’d been waiting for, so we first implemented both “Featured Map” and “Random Map” for a limited time, as mentioned in the Dev Letter.

While the “Featured Map” queue has thrived for the most part, some players have experienced difficulty finding matches in the “Random Map” pool, which has also led to some frustration due to lack of map variety, with Solo and Duo queues being impacted most heavily.

With the release of PC Update 4.2 the “Featured Map” option will be removed, leaving only the “Random Map” option, which will now contain all 4 maps at an equal percentage chance of being chosen. Player choice is important, so we are investigating ways to allow players additional choices where possible, without compromising a smooth matchmaking experience.

One of our intended solutions to allow players more choice without compromising matchmaking health was the “Preset Match” option, which we also discuss in our Dev Letter: Matchmaking System Update. Unfortunately, we found it to be underutilized by players and not as effective as we had hoped. Due to this, we will be removing the “Preset Match” option with PC Update 4.2 while we work to improve the experience before potentially releasing an improved version at a later date.

Our primary concern is always a healthy matchmaking system, but we will always look to improve the systems and add more choice wherever we can. We will continue to carefully monitor these changes and as always, listen and take on-board player feedback.

– The PUBG Team