My Multiplayer Identity Logic Was Wrong at First

Both players were seeing the same UI. The Ready button behaved strangely. That’s when I knew my multiplayer logic was wrong.

This post is part of my daily learning journey in game development.

I’m sharing what I learn each day — the basics, the confusion, and the real progress — from the perspective of a beginner.

On Day 53 of my game development journey, I learned how to properly identify players in multiplayer using PlayerState.

What I tried / learned today

At first, I tried storing PlayerController IDs inside an array to identify players. That approach failed.

I learned that PlayerController is not reliable for multiplayer identity logic, especially when dealing with server and clients.

Then I explored:

• Local PlayerState
• Owning PlayerState

I understood that PlayerState exists on both the server and clients and is designed to store multiplayer-related data like player name, score, and status.

Instead of using Controller IDs, I used PlayerState to identify each player.

Using PlayerState, I controlled:

• Ready button visibility
• Player-specific UI behavior

Because PlayerState replicates properly, the logic finally behaved as expected.

What confused me

I was confused about:

• Why controller ID logic kept failing
• The real difference between PlayerController and PlayerState
• Why the UI looked identical for all players
• Local vs server ownership

Multiplayer ownership felt complicated at first.

What worked or finally clicked

The big realization was this:

PlayerState is built specifically for multiplayer identity.

I understood that:

• PlayerControllers can exist differently on server and clients
• PlayerState handles replicated player data
• UI must check for the locally controlled player

Once I used Owning PlayerState correctly, everything became stable.

An interesting fact I learned:

Even if a PlayerController is destroyed and recreated during travel, PlayerState can persist and keep important player data, which is why it’s so important in multiplayer systems.

One lesson for beginners

• Use PlayerState for multiplayer data
• Avoid storing Controller IDs manually
• Check Is Locally Controlled when needed
• Keep UI logic client-side
• Replication settings matter a lot

Multiplayer logic is not about guessing — it’s about understanding ownership.

Slow progress — but I’m building a strong foundation.

If you’re also learning game development,

what was the first thing that confused you when you started?

See you in the next post 🎮🚀