Activision has quietly changed how player information appears in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer lobbies by hiding player levels for those not in your party. This change, first noticed around the launch of Season 4, aims to reduce players leaving matches based on others’ levels, though the publisher hasn’t officially commented yet.
Initially, players could hide their levels through privacy settings, but now this new system removes level badges and numbers from all other players in lobbies. Instead, a generic “user” icon shows up where the level used to be, as shared by Ghost of Hope. The image clearly illustrates this swap, making it impossible to see if opponents are high-level veterans or fresh recruits before the match starts.
THEYRE HIDING LEVELS IN LOBBY NOW LMFAOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/OeDvD4EeWS
— Hope (@TheGhostOfHope) May 29, 2025
Activision has not included this adjustment in the official Season 4 patch notes. I wonder if this will keep players from quitting early or if it might confuse matchmaking balance. What do you think? Would hiding levels make your gaming experience better or worse? While this may help reduce team disbanding caused by judging players based on their rank, it also means less information to assess your opponents or teammates quickly. Some players might miss levels’ instant context, especially when trying to gauge experience at a glance. It’s a bit of a trade-off, and I’m curious how the community will react over time.
Have you noticed this change in your own matches? Does it affect how you approach lobbies or decide who to party up with?
