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Changelog

All notable changes to FWPartySystem are documented on this page.

Version 2.0

Release type: Major | Engine: UE 5.3+

Added

  • Beacon-based architecture. Complete rewrite from GameState replication to Online Beacon framework (AFWPartyBeaconHost, AFWPartyBeaconClient, AFWPartyHostObject). Party state is now fully server-authoritative and decoupled from the game world.
  • Level transfer persistence. Party state survives both seamless travel and hard map loads. Beacon connections persist independently of game world teardown.
  • Join codes. 6-character alphanumeric codes generated server-side for direct party join without friend lists. Ambiguous characters (0, O, 1, I, L) excluded from the character set.
  • Invitation system. Full invitation workflow with InvitePlayer, AcceptInvitation, DeclineInvitation, and server-managed expiration timers.
  • Privacy modes. EFWPartyPrivacy::Open and EFWPartyPrivacy::InviteOnly control whether join-by-code is available.
  • Kick system. Leader can remove members via KickMember with automatic state cleanup and event broadcast.
  • Leader migration. Automatic leadership transfer to the longest-tenured online member when the leader disconnects or leaves.
  • Disconnect grace period. Configurable window (default 60s) during which disconnected members can rejoin without losing their party slot.
  • FWChatSystem integration. Optional automatic party chat channel creation and teardown when FWChatSystem is present.
  • OnMemberKicked delegate. Distinct from OnMemberLeft to allow UI differentiation between voluntary leave and kick.
  • OnLocalPlayerJoinedParty / OnLocalPlayerLeftParty delegates. Separate local-only events for the player's own party transitions.
  • OnInvitationExpired delegate. Server-driven expiration notification.
  • FFWPartySettings struct. Centralized configuration for party defaults.

Changed

  • UFWPartyManagerComponent is now a pure client-side interface. All state mutations route through the beacon.
  • Member tracking uses FUniqueNetIdRepl instead of APlayerState references, enabling cross-level identity.
  • Party state is no longer replicated via FFastArraySerializer. The beacon pushes complete FFWPartyInfo snapshots on change.
  • OnPartyUpdated now fires with the complete FFWPartyInfo instead of a delta.

Removed

  • UFWPartyStateComponent -- redundant with beacon-cached state in the manager component.
  • FFastArraySerializer-based replication -- replaced by beacon RPC state pushes.
  • Direct APlayerState references in party member info -- replaced by FUniqueNetIdRepl.

Migration Guide

Breaking Changes

Version 2.0 is a complete architecture rewrite. There is no automated migration path from 1.x.

Key migration steps:

  1. Replace UFWPartyStateComponent with UFWPartyManagerComponent only. The manager now handles both operations and local state caching.
  2. Spawn AFWPartyBeaconHost in your GameMode's InitGame. See Tutorial Part 1, Step 2.
  3. Update member references. Replace any APlayerState* member lookups with FUniqueNetIdRepl-based lookups via FFWPartyMemberInfo::UniqueNetId.
  4. Update event handlers. OnPartyUpdated now passes FFWPartyInfo instead of individual changed fields. Bind new delegates (OnMemberKicked, OnLocalPlayerJoinedParty, etc.) as needed.
  5. Configure beacon port. Add BeaconPort to DefaultEngine.ini and ensure firewall rules allow the port.

Version 1.0

Release type: Initial | Engine: UE 5.2+

Added

  • Initial release of FWPartySystem.
  • UFWPartyManagerComponent for party creation and management.
  • UFWPartyStateComponent for replicated party state via FFastArraySerializer.
  • EFWPartyRole (Leader, Member).
  • FFWPartyMemberInfo with APlayerState references.
  • FFWPartyInfo with member list and party ID.
  • OnPartyCreated, OnPartyDisbanded, OnPartyUpdated, OnMemberJoined, OnMemberLeft, OnLeaderChanged delegates.
  • Basic party creation and leave functionality.
  • Automatic leader migration on disconnect.