The “Save Fall Guys” movement and SBMM controversy, explained

What’s going on with Fall Guys?

Image via Mediatonic

What is the “Save Fall Guys” movement about?

The #SaveFallGuys hashtag gained steam after many fans of the game tweeted at development studio Mediatonic about their frustration about numerous aspects of the game, with most of the complaints regarding skill-based matching (SBMM). Many players want to join a fun game of Fall Guys and don’t want to feel like they’re in a competitive match by being paired up with “sweaty” opponents who are similarly skilled.

Those who have complained about SBMM suggested that the developer should add a ranked option, so if players want to have competitive matches against opponents who are in their skill range, they can just join ranked playlists. Meanwhile, others who don’t can just play a unranked match where skill isn’t factored in.

Been playing Fall Guys since launch, and this new season is probably my favorite. As such, I'm saddened to see the deteriorating state of the game. I hope that Mediatonic start to listen to the community and make the fixes the game so desperately needs. #savefallguys (1/2) pic.twitter.com/H7V9WpGTFR
— fard studio (@fard_studio) October 12, 2022

Of course, you also have casual players not wanting high-ranking opponents in a normal game if ranked and unranked match options were introduced. Even in games that have non-ranked matches like League of Legends, you’re going to be put against players who are of similar skill unless you’re queued up with a player who is higher or lower level than you. The perk with SBMM is that it puts players in a match where everyone is roughly on an equal playing field. If the developer removes SBMM, higher-ranked players could potentially be put into matches with people who are just starting out the game, and that’s not fair to anyone. So, it’s a difficult situation for the developer to try and resolve.

SBMM wasn’t the only thing that was brought up to the developer, though. Community members have vented about their frustrations with the lack of updates to shows, round variety, bugs, shop prices, and events. All of these things, unlike SBMM, are issues that can be adjusted and fixed with time and feedback from the community.