Session-based multiplayer
Session-based multiplayer is a game architecture where matches have a defined start and end. A dedicated server is allocated when the match begins and released when it ends. Each match is a discrete session with its own lifecycle.
Examples
Most competitive multiplayer games use session-based architecture: shooters (10-minute rounds), battle royales (20-minute matches), racing games (5-minute races), and party games (variable-length rounds). The matchmaker groups players, a server starts, the match runs, the server stops.
Session-based vs persistent
Session-based games allocate and release servers constantly. A game with 10,000 CCU and 15-minute average sessions creates and destroys roughly 40,000 server instances per day. This makes efficient orchestration critical — every second of idle server time between sessions is wasted compute.
Persistent games (survival, MMO) keep servers running for hours or days. The server lifecycle is different: fewer allocations, longer runtimes, and the need for state persistence across sessions.
Infrastructure implications
Session-based games need fast server allocation (sub-second), efficient container recycling, and elastic scaling. The infrastructure must handle rapid fluctuations in demand — peak hours might need 10x the servers of off-peak. Warm pools and cloud bursting are designed specifically for this pattern.