> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.playflowcloud.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What's New in PlayFlow 2

> Discover the powerful new features and improvements in PlayFlow 2 that make multiplayer game development easier than ever.

# What's New in PlayFlow 2

PlayFlow 2 represents a major leap forward in multiplayer game server management. We've rebuilt our platform from the ground up to deliver better performance, more features, and an even simpler developer experience.

## [Lobby & Matchmaking](#lobby-matchmaking-sdk)

PlayFlow 2 introduces **built-in lobbies and matchmaking** - the feature game developers have been asking for most. It's a backend feature you access through the v3 REST API, and (for Unity projects) through the first-class Unity SDK.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Built-in Matchmaking" icon="target">
    Configurable matchmaking with rule-based player matching (difference, equals, not\_equals, region, and expression rules)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Player Authentication" icon="shield-check">
    Verified player identity via custom JWT, PlayFab, or Steam providers
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### What you get

The lobby and matchmaking system provides:

* **Lobby management** for player groups and game sessions, with public and invite-code private lobbies
* **Rule-based matchmaking** with configurable rules and regions
* **Player authentication** with custom JWT, PlayFab, and Steam providers
* **Real-time lobby state** streamed to clients over a one-way SSE event stream
* **Automatic server allocation** when a match is ready

<Note>
  The backend is engine-agnostic REST, so any client that can speak HTTP can use it. Unity is the first-class SDK; other engines integrate directly against the REST API. See the [lobby & matchmaking guide](/lobbies/matchmaking) and the [API reference](/fundamentals/api).
</Note>

## [Enhanced Performance & Infrastructure](#enhanced-performance-infrastructure)

PlayFlow 2 delivers significantly better performance without increasing costs.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Faster Compute Instances" icon="zap">
    Access to upgraded server hardware with better CPU performance and memory
  </Card>

  <Card title="Same Great Pricing" icon="dollar-sign">
    All performance improvements come at no additional cost to you
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### New Orchestrator Technology

Our **brand new orchestrator** has been built from the ground up to provide:

* **Global deployment** across 13 regions worldwide, from us-east and eu-west to ap-south and south-america-brazil
* **On-demand provisioning** — servers launch when you call the API and shut down on their TTL, so you only pay for what you run
* **Improved reliability** with better error handling and recovery

<Warning>
  `region` is required when you start a server. Choose the region closest to your players for the lowest latency. See [Instance Types](/fundamentals/plan-instance-types) for the full region and compute-size list.
</Warning>

## [Built-in Monitoring & Logging](#built-in-monitoring-logging)

No more juggling multiple tools. PlayFlow 2 includes comprehensive monitoring and logging right out of the box.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Centralized Logging" icon="file-text">
    All server logs are automatically collected and searchable from your dashboard
  </Card>

  <Card title="Performance Monitoring" icon="activity">
    Real-time metrics and performance dashboards for all your servers
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Monitor everything in one place:

* **Server performance metrics** (CPU, memory, network)
* **Player connection statistics** and session data
* **Error tracking** and debugging information
* **Custom logging** from your game server applications

## [Unlimited Projects & Build Management](#unlimited-projects-build-management)

Say goodbye to project limitations. PlayFlow 2 lets you create **unlimited projects** to organize your games exactly how you want.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Unlimited Projects" icon="folder">
    Create as many projects as you need to categorize your different games and experiments
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build Preservation" icon="archive">
    All your builds are automatically preserved with full version history
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Perfect for:

* **Multiple game titles** under one organization
* **Experimental projects** and prototypes
* **Different game versions** (mobile, PC, console)
* **Build archiving** for long-term project maintenance

## [Organizations & Team Collaboration](#organizations-team-collaboration)

PlayFlow 2 introduces **Organizations** - a powerful way to manage your game development teams and projects.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Team Management" icon="users">
    Easily add and remove team members from your organization with role-based access control
  </Card>

  <Card title="Collaborative Development" icon="handshake">
    All team members can access and contribute to projects within your organization
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

With organizations, you can:

* **Invite team members** by email and manage their access
* **Share projects** across your entire development team
* **Centralize billing** and resource management
* **Maintain consistent workflows** across all your game projects

<Note>
  Organizations make it easy to scale your team from solo development to large studios, all while maintaining security and access control.
</Note>

## [Designed for Scale](#designed-for-scale)

Whether you're running a single test server or managing thousands of concurrent game sessions, PlayFlow 2 scales with your needs.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Solo Developers" icon="user">
    Perfect for indie developers just getting started with multiplayer
  </Card>

  <Card title="Growing Studios" icon="trending-up">
    Seamlessly scales as your player base and team expand
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enterprise Gaming" icon="building">
    Launch as many servers as you need on demand — start each one with a single API call
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Info>
  You launch and stop game servers on demand through the API (or dashboard) — there is no fleet autoscaler to configure. Your game or backend decides when to start a server and when to shut it down.
</Info>

### Simplified Experience

Despite all these powerful features, PlayFlow 2 remains the **easiest way to get started** with multiplayer game development:

* **Start servers with a single API call** and have them running in minutes
* **Intelligent defaults** handle complex configuration for you (`compute_size` defaults to `small`)
* **Clear documentation** and examples for every feature
* **Intuitive dashboard** that grows with your expertise

## [Migration from Previous Versions](#migration-from-previous-versions)

Existing PlayFlow users can easily migrate to take advantage of all these new features:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Migration Guide" icon="arrow-right" href="/guides/migration-guide">
    Follow the step-by-step guide to move your builds and configurations to PlayFlow 2
  </Card>

  <Card title="Zero Downtime" icon="clock">
    Migrate your servers without interrupting your players
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## [Get Started with PlayFlow 2](#get-started-with-playflow-2)

Ready to experience the future of multiplayer game development?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick Start Guide" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Deploy your first PlayFlow 2 server in under 10 minutes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Join Our Community" icon="message-circle" href="https://discord.gg/P5w45Vx5Q8">
    Connect with other developers and get support on Discord
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="API Documentation" href="/fundamentals/api">
    <Icon icon="code" size={24} />
  </Card>

  <Card title="Unity Integration" href="/guides/unity-modules">
    <Icon icon="unity" size={24} />
  </Card>

  <Card title="Instance Types" href="/fundamentals/plan-instance-types">
    <Icon icon="server" size={24} />
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

**PlayFlow 2** - Building the future of multiplayer gaming, one server at a time.