You're geared up, double XP token ticking away, and you hit "Start." Then it happens. That annoying little box pops up saying BO6 could not complete matchmaking. It feels like the game is personally rejecting you. Honestly, it's one of the most frustrating things in Call of Duty right now, especially when your friends are already in a lobby screaming about a crazy play you’re missing.
Usually, this isn't just a "your internet sucks" problem. It’s deeper. Black Ops 6 uses a massive, complex web of servers and Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) that sometimes just... breaks. Whether you're on a PC, a PS5, or an Xbox, this error is a wall between you and the grind.
The Reality of the Matchmaking Error
So, what is actually happening? Most people think it’s their router, but Treyarch and Activision have pushed out plenty of updates that have accidentally bricked the queue system. For instance, back in early 2025, a simple playlist update caused an infinite "Connecting" loop for thousands of players. If you're seeing BO6 could not complete matchmaking, you’re basically watching the game fail to handshake with a dedicated server or a specific group of players it wants to put you with.
It's a data jam. Think of it like a crowded highway where the on-ramp is closed for no reason.
Common Culprits Behind the Failure
- Subscription Lapses: On consoles, this is the "silent killer." If your Xbox Game Pass Core or PlayStation Plus expires, the game doesn't always tell you "Go buy more." Instead, it just says it couldn't complete matchmaking.
- Playlist De-sync: Sometimes the game on your screen thinks you’re looking for a 10v10 match, but the server just retired that specific playlist.
- Crossplay Conflicts: If you have Crossplay turned off, the pool of available players shrinks so fast that the matchmaker eventually just gives up and throws the error.
- Shadow Bans or Limited Matchmaking: If the anti-cheat flags you—even by mistake—you might be thrown into a "limited matchmaking" state. You aren't banned, but the game struggles to find enough other "flagged" players to fill a lobby.
How to Get Back into the Lobby Fast
Stop checking your internet speed first. Seriously. If you can see the store or your friends list, your internet is probably fine. Instead, try these steps in this exact order because they tackle the most likely software bugs first.
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Restart the App Entirely
Don't just go to the dashboard. Close the game. On PS5, hit the Options button and select "Close Game." On PC, kill the task in Task Manager if you have to. This forces the game to re-fetch the "Message of the Day" and the current active playlists from the server.
Check the Subscription Status
I've seen this happen to so many people. Go into your console settings and make sure your sub is active. If it lapsed ten minutes ago, the game will let you sit in the menu but won't let you launch a match. It’s a weird quirk of the COD HQ launcher.
The "Back Out" Method
If you see the error while in a party, have everyone leave the party. The party leader should then try to find a match alone. If it works, have everyone join back one by one. Often, one person’s "NAT Type" is conflicting with the rest of the group, causing the whole matchmaking process to collapse.
Flush the DNS (PC Only)
If you're on Battle.net or Steam and keep getting hit with BO6 could not complete matchmaking, your PC might be holding onto a "bad" route to the servers. Open Command Prompt as an admin and type ipconfig /flushdns. It takes two seconds and fixes more issues than you’d think.
Why Your Region Matters
In 2026, the server distribution for BO6 has shifted quite a bit. If you're playing in a region with fewer active players during off-peak hours (like 4:00 AM), the SBMM is trying so hard to find "fair" opponents that it eventually times out. If you're desperate, turning Crossplay back on is usually the only way to bypass this if you're in a low-population area.
The "Limited Matchmaking" Nightmare
There is a darker side to this. If you’ve been playing exceptionally well or got reported by a salty squad, you might be in a shadow ban loop. When this happens, you’ll notice that searching for a match takes forever, and when it finally does find one, the ping is 200ms+. Eventually, the search just fails with the "could not complete" message.
You can check your status on the Activision Support "Appeal a Ban" page. If it says "Under Review," you aren't actually banned, but you're in a matchmaking purgatory. There is no "fix" for this other than waiting 7 to 14 days for a human (or a better AI) to clear your name.
DNS Tweaks for Better Stability
If your router is fine but the game is still acting up, changing your DNS can actually help the game "see" the matchmaking servers better. Many default ISP servers are slow or unreliable.
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- Google DNS: Primary 8.8.8.8 | Secondary 8.8.4.4
- Cloudflare DNS: Primary 1.1.1.1 | Secondary 1.0.0.1
Changing these in your console or PC network settings can sometimes bypass local outages that aren't affecting the rest of the country but are definitely affecting your ability to find a match.
Final Checklist for Success
If you're still stuck, do these three things right now:
- Verify Game Files: On Steam or Battle.net, use the "Repair" or "Verify" tool. A single tiny corrupted file in the matchmaking module will break the whole thing.
- Check for System Updates: Sometimes a console firmware update is required for "online features" even if the game itself is up to date.
- Power Cycle the Router: Unplug it, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. This clears the cache on the hardware level and gives you a fresh IP address.
Most of the time, BO6 could not complete matchmaking is a temporary server hiccup. Give it ten minutes, try a different game mode (like moving from Core to Hardcore), and the system usually resets itself.
To make sure your connection stays solid once you're back in, try switching from a Wi-Fi connection to a wired Ethernet cable. It drastically reduces the packet loss that causes the matchmaker to "drop" you mid-search. You can also monitor the official Call of Duty Updates account on X (formerly Twitter) to see if there is a known global outage affecting everyone.