PlayerState

PlayerState is a per-player data construct used in multiplayer game development to represent a player's identity, status, and statistics during a game session. It is typically managed on the server and replicated to clients so all participants share a consistent view of each player's state. PlayerState is distinct from a player’s in-game avatar or input controller and may or may not persist across matches or level transitions, depending on the engine and game design.

Common components of a PlayerState include a unique identifier, display name, and affiliation or team. It often stores game-related statistics such as score, kills, deaths, and wins, as well as gameplay attributes like latency/ping, readiness, or cosmetic choices. In some architectures, inventory or loadout information may be linked to the PlayerState or stored in a related persistent profile.

Implementation considerations typically center on server authority and replication. The server is usually the source of truth for PlayerState, with updates propagated to clients through a replication mechanism. PlayerState data may be created when a player connects and destroyed when they disconnect, or kept across map changes depending on the framework. Security best practices emphasize not trusting client-reported values for score or other critical fields and validating updates on the server.

Examples and usage vary by engine. In Unreal Engine, the APlayerState class represents the per-player state replicated to all clients and associated with a PlayerController and GameState. It stores identity, score, and team information, and can persist across levels within a session. Other engines implement similar per-player data objects to support consistent multiplayer gameplay.