Skip to content

Documentation

Matchmaking & Queues

Create automated matchmaking queues or hosted lobbies for your gaming community

Overview

Team Up provides a powerful matchmaking system that lets you create queues for your gaming community. Players can join queues and get automatically matched, or hosts can create lobbies with manual control over team formation and match flow.

Queue Commands

  • /queue_versus - Standard versus (1v1, 2v2, etc.)
  • /queue_anonymous - Hidden random teams
  • /queue_ffa - Free-for-all
  • /queue_coop - Cooperative
  • /queue_team - Team-based

Two Operating Modes

  • Headless - Automatic matchmaking
  • Hosted - Manual lobby control

Each queue command supports both modes as subcommands.

Which Queue Type Should I Use?

βš”οΈ

Team vs Team? β†’ Use /queue_versus

1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 5v5, etc.

🎭

Hidden teams? β†’ Use /queue_anonymous

Random teams, hidden β€” you know your own team, not your teammates

🎯

Everyone for themselves? β†’ Use /queue_ffa

Battle royale, racing, individual placements

🀝

Players vs AI/game? β†’ Use /queue_coop

Raids, dungeons, cooperative challenges

πŸ‘₯

Pre-made teams? β†’ Use /queue_team

Teams queue together as a unit

Headless vs Hosted Modes

Headless Mode

Automatic matchmaking queue. Players join the queue, and when enough players are waiting, the system automatically creates a match and notifies everyone.

Best For

  • β€’ High-traffic servers with active players
  • β€’ Casual pickup games
  • β€’ 24/7 matchmaking availability
  • β€’ Minimal moderation needed

Features

  • β€’ Auto-match when queue fills
  • β€’ Rating-based team balancing
  • β€’ Join notifications
  • β€’ Map pool voting
/queue_versus headless queue_name:"ranked-2v2" title:"Ranked 2v2" versus:"2v2"

Creates an automatic 2v2 matchmaking queue

Hosted Mode

Manual lobby system. A host creates a lobby, players join, and the host controls when to start, how teams are formed, and when to record results.

Best For

  • β€’ Organized events and tournaments
  • β€’ Custom game setups
  • β€’ Captain's draft games
  • β€’ Private matches with specific players

Host Controls

  • β€’ Start/close lobby
  • β€’ Kick players
  • β€’ Randomize/balance teams
  • β€’ Share invite codes
/queue_versus hosted title:"Friday Night 3v3" versus:"3v3" team_formation:"Captains Draft"

Creates a hosted lobby with captain's draft team selection

FeatureHeadlessHosted
Match CreationAutomatic when queue fillsManual by host
Team FormationAutomatic (balanced/random)Host controlled
Player ManagementSelf-service join/leaveHost can kick players
PersistenceQueue persists indefinitelyLobby closes after match
Best Use CaseCasual pickup gamesOrganized events

Queue Types

βš”οΈ

/queue_versus

Standard competitive matchmaking

The most common queue type. Creates matches where two teams or individuals compete against each other. Supports any versus format: 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, etc.

/queue_versus headless queue_name:"ranked" versus:"2v2" match_result:"Ranked"
🎭

/queue_anonymous

Hidden-team matchmaking

Players are split into two randomly assigned teams that stay hidden. Each player can privately check which team they're on β€” but not who their teammates are. The full rosters stay secret until the teams are revealed. Built for social-deduction games like Among Us, where you know your side but not your allies.

/queue_anonymous headless queue_name:"hidden-5v5" team_1_size:"5" team_2_size:"5"

Teams are randomly assigned and hidden β€” players see only their own team until the teams are revealed

🎯

/queue_ffa

Free-for-all matchmaking

Every player competes individually. Results are recorded as placements (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Perfect for battle royale style games or racing.

/queue_ffa headless queue_name:"battle-royale" players:8
🀝

/queue_coop

Cooperative matchmaking

Players team up together against the game or AI. All players share the same outcome (win or lose together).

/queue_coop headless queue_name:"raid-finder" players:4
πŸ‘₯

/queue_team

Pre-formed team matchmaking

For players who want to queue as a pre-formed team rather than being randomly assigned teammates. Teams queue together and get matched against other teams.

/queue_team headless queue_name:"team-ranked" team_size:3

Team Formation Strategies

When a match starts, how should teams be formed? Team Up offers 8 different strategies to fit your community's needs.

Two vocabularies: the values below are the lobby modes used by /host and running lobbies. The /queue_* commands use the queue vocabulary instead β€” balanced_teams, random_teams, players_choose, and the captains_* variants (highest/lowest Elo, random, volunteer, host picks). Hosted launchers translate automatically when a lobby is created (balanced_teams β†’ balance_elo). See the Settings Reference for both lists.

Players Choose

Default

Players select which team they want to join using buttons. First come, first served.

team_formation: "players_choose"

Players Choose with Positions

For role-based games

Players choose both team and position (e.g., Tank, DPS, Support). Each position can only be filled once.

team_formation: "players_choose_positions"

Random Teams

Quick and fair

Players are randomly assigned to teams. Simple and unbiased.

team_formation: "random"

Random Teams (Anonymous)

Hidden during selection

Random assignment, but team compositions are hidden until the match starts.

team_formation: "random_anonymous"

Random Teams with Positions

Random teams, specific roles

Teams are randomly assigned, then players choose positions within their team.

team_formation: "random_positions"

Captains Draft

Traditional pick system

Two captains take turns picking players for their teams. Classic draft experience.

team_formation: "captains_host_picks"

Balanced by Rating

Competitive fairness

Teams are automatically balanced based on player Elo ratings to create even matches.

team_formation: "balance_elo"

No Teams (FFA/Co-op)

Individual or all together

No team assignment. Used for free-for-all or cooperative game modes.

team_formation: "no_teams"

Match Result Options

Control how match outcomes are recorded and whether they affect player ratings.

Disabled

No result voting or recording. The match ends when players leave. Use this for casual games where ratings don't matter.

match_result: "disabled"

Ranked

Recommended

Players vote on the outcome via consensus. Once all players agree, the match is recorded and ratings are updated automatically.

match_result: "ranked"

Ranked (Admin Approval)

Same as Ranked, but an admin must approve the result before ratings are updated. Useful for preventing abuse in competitive environments.

match_result: "ranked_admin"

Unranked

Match is recorded in history, but ratings are not affected. Good for practice matches or warm-up games.

match_result: "unranked"

Unranked (Admin Approval)

Same as Unranked, but requires admin approval before recording.

match_result: "unranked_admin"

How Consensus Voting Works

When match results are enabled, players see voting buttons at the end of the match:

πŸ”΄ Red Team Wins πŸ”΅ Blue Team Wins 🀝 Tie

The result is recorded when a majority of players agree on the outcome. If there's a dispute, admins can intervene.

Competitive Formats

Choose how matches are structured for hosted lobbies.

Single Match

One game determines the winner. Lobby closes after result is recorded.

competitive_format: "Single Match"

Best Of Series

First team to win majority wins. Available: Bo3, Bo5, Bo7.

competitive_format: "Best Of" matches: 3

Endless Matches

Play continuous games without closing. Lobby stays open until players vote to close.

competitive_format: "Endless Matches"

Cumulative Scoring

Total points across rounds determines winner. Teams submit and approve scores each round.

competitive_format: "Cumulative" matches: 3

Map Pools & Voting

Create map pools and let players vote on which map to play. Maps are selected randomly or through player voting when a match is created.

Creating a Map Pool

/settings map_pool add pool_name:"competitive" map_name:"Dust 2"

Add a map to the pool

/settings map_pool add pool_name:"competitive" map_name:"Mirage"
/settings map_pool add pool_name:"competitive" map_name:"Inferno"

Using a Map Pool in Queues

/queue_versus headless queue_name:"ranked" ... map_pool:"competitive" map_voting_strategy:"Simple"

Players vote on maps from the "competitive" pool when a match is found

Temporary Channels

Automatically create temporary voice or text channels for each match. Channels are deleted when the match ends.

Setting Up Temporary Channels

/queue_versus headless ... category_for_temp_channel:#Match Lobbies

Specify which category to create temporary channels in

/queue_versus headless ... create_shared_channel:"Text"

Create a shared text channel for all players

Channel Types

  • β€’ Text - Shared text chat for all players
  • β€’ Voice - Shared voice channel
  • β€’ Team Voice - Separate voice per team

Requirements

  • β€’ Bot needs "Manage Channels" permission
  • β€’ Category must exist beforehand
  • β€’ Channels auto-delete after match

Queue Settings

After creating a queue, open the Admin Actions dropdown on the queue message to access the Configure … modals, or edit the queue from the web dashboard.

Full Settings Reference β†’

Every queue setting β€” defaults, valid ranges, and enum values β€” filterable by queue type, mode, and where it's set.

πŸ”’

Password Protection

Restrict queue access with passwords. Set a queue password for players joining, or a host password for creating hosted lobbies.

Great for private tournaments or subscriber-only queues.

⏱️

Rematch Cooldown

Prevent the same players from matching up again for a set period. Set to minutes (e.g., 60) or 0 for permanent cooldown.

Ensures variety and prevents farming the same opponent.

βš–οΈ

Dispute Handling

Configure channels for dispute notifications, screenshot evidence, and audit logging. Optionally ping a role when disputes occur.

Essential for competitive integrity and moderation.

πŸ“’

Match Announcements

Post automatic announcements when matches start and end. Shows team rosters, ratings, and final results.

Perfect for streaming events or spectator channels.

πŸ†

Competitive Formats

Choose match structure: Single Match, Best Of series, Endless sessions, or Cumulative scoring.

Cumulative is great for point-based games like racing.

πŸ”Š

Auto-Channels

Automatically create voice/text channels and threads when matches start. Supports shared channels and private team channels.

Channels are deleted when the match ends.

πŸ’¬

Need Help Configuring?

Use our AI support chat on the Support page for step-by-step guidance on setting up these features.

Common Examples

The required description, match_start_channel, and match_end_channel options are omitted from these examples for brevity β€” Discord will prompt for them.

Ranked 1v1 Queue

Simple competitive 1v1 with Elo tracking

/queue_versus headless queue_name:"ranked-1v1" title:"Ranked 1v1" team_size:1 match_result:"Ranked" leaderboard:"default"

Balanced 5v5 with Voice Channels

Automatic team balancing and temporary voice channels β€” after creating, enable team voice channels via Admin Actions β†’ Configure Auto-Channels

/queue_versus headless queue_name:"5v5-comp" title:"5v5 Competitive" team_size:5 team_formation:"Balanced Teams" match_result:"Ranked" category_for_temp_channel:#Matches

Hosted Captain's Draft

Manual lobby with traditional draft picking

/queue_versus hosted queue_name:"friday-draft" title:"Friday Night Draft" team_size:5 team_formation:"Captains (Host Picks)" match_result:"Ranked" leaderboard:"default"

Anonymous 2v2 with Map Voting

Hidden teams and map selection

/queue_anonymous headless queue_name:"blind-2v2" title:"Anonymous 2v2" team_1_size:2 team_2_size:2 match_result:"Ranked" map_pool:"competitive" map_voting_strategy:"Simple"

Casual FFA Battle Royale

8-player free-for-all with placement rankings

/queue_ffa headless queue_name:"battle-royale" title:"Battle Royale" min_players:8 match_result:"Unranked"