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Multiplayer Game Server — Notes#

Functional#

  • Real-time game state sync across N players.
  • Lobby + matchmaking.
  • Persistent profiles, leaderboards, inventory.
  • Anti-cheat.
  • Voice chat.

Non-functional#

  • Tick 30-60 Hz; client RTT < 100 ms ideal.
  • 99.95% uptime during match windows.

Capacity#

  • Per game-server: tens to hundreds of concurrent players.
  • Many thousands of servers across regions.

Trade-offs#

  • Server-authoritative = anti-cheat strength; client-side prediction needed for UX.
  • Tick rate: higher = smoother, more bandwidth/CPU.
  • Rollback netcode is gold standard for fighting / FPS.

Refs#

  • "Fast-Paced Multiplayer" Gabriel Gambetta.
  • Valve Source engine networking docs.
  • Riot Games / Epic Games engineering blogs.