FWPartySystem Plugin

Version: 2.0 | Module: FWPartySystem | Type: Runtime

A production-ready, beacon-based party system for Unreal Engine 5 that persists across level transfers. FWPartySystem supports direct join via codes, invitation workflows, configurable party sizes, leader management, and integrates with FWChatSystem for automatic party chat channels.

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Feature Overview

Feature	Description
Party Lifecycle	Create, join, leave, and disband parties with full state management
Join Codes	Share short alphanumeric codes for direct party join without friend lists
Invitation System	Send, accept, decline, and auto-expire party invitations
Beacon Architecture	Server-authoritative state via AOnlineBeaconHost / AOnlineBeaconClient
Level Transfer Persistence	Party state survives seamless travel and hard map loads
Leader Management	Automatic leader migration on disconnect, manual leader transfer
Configurable Party Size	Per-party max member limits with Blueprint-configurable defaults
Privacy Modes	Open parties (anyone with code can join) or invite-only parties
Kick System	Leaders can remove members with automatic state cleanup
Chat Integration	Optional sync with FWChatSystem for automatic party chat channels
Blueprint Support	All operations, queries, and events exposed to Blueprints

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Dependencies

Dependency	Type	Notes
OnlineSubsystem	Required	Provides unique net ID resolution for party members
OnlineSubsystemUtils	Required	Utility functions for online identity handling
SocketIOClient	Required	Used for real-time party event synchronization
FWChatSystem	Optional	Enables automatic party chat channel creation and teardown

Optional Chat Integration

When FWChatSystem is present, creating a party automatically provisions a private chat channel scoped to party members. When absent, all chat-related functionality is silently skipped with no errors.

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Plugin Architecture

FWPartySystem
+-- Components/
|   +-- UFWPartyManagerComponent       // Blueprint-facing party operations
+-- Beacons/
|   +-- AFWPartyBeaconHost             // Server-side party state authority
|   +-- AFWPartyBeaconClient           // Client-side beacon communication
|   +-- AFWPartyHostObject             // Party host management object
+-- Types/
|   +-- FWPartyTypes.h                 // Enums, structs, delegates

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Quick Start

1. Enable the Plugin

In your .uproject file or via the Plugin Manager, enable FWPartySystem.

2. Add the Component to Your Player Controller

UPROPERTY(VisibleAnywhere, BlueprintReadOnly, Category = "Party")
TObjectPtr<UFWPartyManagerComponent> PartyManager;

3. Create a Party

C++Blueprint

PartyManager->CreateParty();
PartyManager->OnPartyCreated.AddDynamic(this, &AMyController::HandlePartyCreated);

Call Create Party on the Party Manager Component, then bind the On Party Created event to handle the result.

4. Share the Join Code

void AMyController::HandlePartyCreated(const FFWPartyInfo& PartyInfo)
{
    // Display PartyInfo.JoinCode in your UI for other players to use
    UE_LOG(LogParty, Log, TEXT("Party created with code: %s"), *PartyInfo.JoinCode);
}

5. Join a Party by Code

PartyManager->JoinPartyByCode(TEXT("ABC123"));
PartyManager->OnJoinPartyResult.AddDynamic(this, &AMyController::HandleJoinResult);

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File Reference

Page	Description
Installation	Add the plugin to your project and configure dependencies
Quick Start	Get a party system running in under 10 minutes
Party Manager Component	Primary API for all party operations
Beacon Architecture	Server-side beacon host, client, and host object internals
Types Reference	Enums, structs, and delegate definitions
API Reference	Complete function and delegate reference
Configuration	Plugin settings, party defaults, and project configuration
Events and Delegates	All multicast delegates and event flow diagrams
Tutorial: Implementing Multiplayer Parties	Step-by-step implementation guide
Changelog	Version history and release notes

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Compatibility

Engine Version	Status
UE 5.4+	Supported
UE 5.3	Supported
UE 5.2 and below	Not tested

Dedicated Server

All party mutations are server-authoritative. The AFWPartyBeaconHost must run on the server or a dedicated beacon host. Client-side calls to UFWPartyManagerComponent dispatch requests through the beacon client and do not modify local state until the server confirms the operation.