Queue fatigue is brutal in modern shooters. You log in for "a couple of matches," then spend half that time watching a spinning search icon. In Black Ops 7, the pace feels snappier, and you notice it fast. The new default approach leans into Open Matchmaking, so it stops obsessing over perfect skill parity and starts caring about getting you into a game that actually plays well. If you're chasing camo progress or trying a CoD BO7 Bot Lobby setup to speed up your routine, the less fussy lobby-finding makes the whole session feel less like admin and more like shooting.

Open Matchmaking In Plain English

Here's what it feels like on the sticks: you hit search and you're in. The system still tries to avoid total chaos, but it isn't acting like every public match is a ranked final. Connection and quick fills come first, so the lobby builds faster and the game starts sooner. That changes the vibe. One match you'll run into a couple of cracked players, next match you'll see people learning spawns. It's a mixed room, and that's kind of the point. You're playing more minutes per hour, which is exactly what you want when you're levelling something awkward like a slow LMG or doing "get 30 kills with attachments you hate" daily tasks.

Persistent Lobbies Are Back

The best part might be the bit nobody shut up about for years: lobbies don't instantly dissolve. When the scoreboard pops, you don't get kicked out and dumped into another search unless you choose to leave. That small change fixes the rhythm of a night's play. Rivalries can actually cook for a few games. Your squad can settle in. And if the server feels stable, you can just stay put and farm momentum instead of re-rolling matchmaking over and over. It also makes party management less annoying—less "wait, did you get pulled out?" and more "run it back."

Who Should Use Which Playlist

If you live for tight, sweaty matches where everyone's on the same wavelength, the Standard playlists are still there with the heavier SBMM rules. That's the lane for people who want pressure every single round. But for most players—especially anyone hopping on after work, or trying to get a new weapon feeling right—Open Matchmaking is the chill option. It won't magically erase peak-time lag or fix bad routing in your region, but it does cut the dead time. You spend less time bargaining with the search screen and more time actually learning maps, practising recoil, and getting reps in.

Keeping The Grind Feeling Fun

What makes the shift land is that it respects your time. Black Ops 7 isn't asking you to treat every public lobby like a tournament bracket; it's letting sessions flow again, with fewer resets and fewer pauses. If you're the type who likes smoothing the grind with extras—COD points, bundles, or quick access to in-game items—sites like RSVSR can be handy alongside the faster matchmaking, because you can spend your time playing instead of fiddling with menus, and still keep your setup moving forward.