In this episode of “Cloud Do You Do,” we delve into the intricacies of skill-based matchmaking in the gaming industry with our special guest, Charlie Olson, co-founder of Invokation Games. Charlie brings nearly two decades of experience in game development, focusing on matchmaking and skill-rating algorithms. We explore Charlie’s career journey, his work with renowned systems like Elo and TrueSkill, and how Invokation Games is innovating in this space.
The discussion covers the technical aspects of skill-rating algorithms, the importance of transparency in matchmaking, and the mechanics of gameplay in major titles like Call of Duty and Wolfenstein. We also touch on aim-assist, input response curves, weapon balance, in-game analytics, and how it all ties in with AWS. There’s a lot to cover in this episode, so let’s get to it!