Create a matchmaking configuration

To set up a Amazon GameLift FlexMatch matchmaker to process matchmaking requests, create a matchmaking configuration. Use either the Amazon GameLift console or the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI). For more information about creating a matchmaker, see Design a FlexMatch matchmaker.

Create a matchmaker for Amazon GameLift hosting

Before creating a matchmaking configuration, create a rule set and a Amazon GameLift game session queue to use with the matchmaker.

Console

1. In the Amazon GameLift console, in the navigation pane, choose Matchmaking configurations.

2. Switch to the AWS Region where you want to create your matchmaker.

3. On the Matchmaking configurations page, choose Create matchmaking configuration.

4. On the Define configuration details page, under Matchmaking configuration details, do the following:

   1. For Name, enter a matchmaker name that can help you identify it in a list and in metrics. The matchmaker name must be unique within the Region. Matchmaking requests identify which matchmaker to use by its name and Region.

   2. (Optional) For Description, add a description to help identify the matchmaker.

   3. For Rule set, choose a rule set from the list to use with the matchmaker. The list contains all rule sets that you've created in the current Region.

   4. For FlexMatch mode, choose Managed for Amazon GameLift managed hosting. This mode prompts FlexMatch to pass successful matches to the specified game session queue.

   5. For AWS Region, choose the Region where you configured the game session queue that you want to use with the matchmaker.

   6. For Queue, choose the game session queue that you want to use with the matchmaker.

5. Choose Next.

6. On the Configure settings page, under Matchmaking settings, do the following:

   1. For Request timeout, set the maximum amount of time, in seconds, for the matchmaker to complete a match for each request. FlexMatch cancels matchmaking requests that exceed this time.

   2. For Backfill mode, choose a mode for handling match backfills.

      • To turn on the automatic backfill feature, choose Automatic.

      • To create your own backfill request management or to not use the backfill feature, choose Manual.

   3. (Optional) For Additional player count, set the number of player slots to keep open in a match. FlexMatch can fill these slots with players in the future.

   4. (Optional) Under Match acceptance options, for Acceptance required, if you want to require each player in a proposed match to actively accept participation in the match, select Required. If you select this option, then for Acceptance timeout, set how long, in seconds, you want the matchmaker to wait for player acceptances before canceling the match.

7. (Optional) Under Event notification settings, do the following:

   1. (Optional) For SNS topic, choose an Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) topic for receiving matchmaking event notifications. If you haven't yet set up an SNS topic, you can choose this later by editing the matchmaking configuration. For more information, see Set up FlexMatch event notifications.

   2. (Optional) For Custom event data, enter any custom data that you want to associate with this matchmaker in event messaging. FlexMatch includes this data in every event associated with the matchmaker.

8. (Optional) Expand Additional game data, and then do the following:

   1. (Optional) For Game session data, enter any additional game-related information that you want FlexMatch to deliver to new game sessions started with matches made using this matchmaking configuration.

   2. (Optional) For Game properties, add key-value pair properties that contain information about a new game session.

9. (Optional) Under Tags, add tags to help you manage and track your AWS resources.

10. Choose Next.

11. On the Review and create page, review your choices, and then choose Create. Upon successful creation, the matchmaker is ready to accept matchmaking requests.

AWS CLI

To create a matchmaking configuration with the AWS CLI, open a command line window and use the create-matchmaking-configuration command to define a new matchmaker.

This example command creates a new matchmaking configuration that requires player acceptance and enables automatic backfill. It also reserves two player slots for FlexMatch to add players later, and it provides some game session data.

aws gamelift create-matchmaking-configuration \
    --name "SampleMatchamker123" \
    --description "The sample test matchmaker with acceptance" \
    --flex-match-mode WITH_QUEUE \
    --game-session-queue-arns "arn:aws:gamelift:us-west-2:111122223333:gamesessionqueue/MyGameSessionQueue" \
    --rule-set-name "MyRuleSet" \
    --request-timeout-seconds 120 \
    --acceptance-required \
    --acceptance-timeout-seconds 30 \
    --backfill-mode AUTOMATIC \
    --notification-target "arn:aws:sns:us-west-2:111122223333:My_Matchmaking_SNS_Topic" \
    --additional-player-count 2 \
    --game-session-data "key=map,value=winter444"

If the matchmaking configuration creation request is successful, Amazon GameLift returns a MatchmakingConfiguration object with the settings that you requested for the matchmaker. The new matchmaker is ready to accept matchmaking requests.

Create a matchmaker for standalone FlexMatch

Before creating a matchmaking configuration, create a rule set to use with the matchmaker.

Console

1. Open the Amazon GameLift console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/gamelift/home.

2. Switch to the AWS Region where you want to create your matchmaker. For a list of Regions that support FlexMatch matchmaking configurations, see Choose a location for the matchmaker.

3. In the navigation pane, choose FlexMatch, Matchmaking configurations.

4. On the Matchmaking configurations page, choose Create matchmaking configuration.

5. On the Define configuration details page, under Matchmaking configuration details, do the following:

   1. For Name, enter a matchmaker name that can help you identify it in a list and in metrics. The matchmaker name must be unique within the Region. Matchmaking requests identify which matchmaker to use by its name and Region.

   2. (Optional) For Description, add a description to help identify the matchmaker.

   3. For Rule set, choose a rule set from the list to use with the matchmaker. The list contains all rule sets that you've created in the current Region.

   4. For FlexMatch mode, choose Standalone. This indicates that you have a custom mechanism for starting new game sessions on a hosting solution outside of Amazon GameLift.

6. Choose Next.

7. On the Configure settings page, under Matchmaking settings, do the following:

   1. For Request timeout, set the maximum amount of time, in seconds, for the matchmaker to complete a match for each request. Matchmaking requests that exceed this time are rejected.

   2. (Optional) Under Match acceptance options, for Acceptance required, if you want to require each player in a proposed match to actively accept participation in the match, select Required. If you select this option, then for Acceptance timeout, set how long, in seconds, you want the matchmaker to wait for player acceptances before canceling the match.

8. (Optional) Under Event notification settings, do the following:

   1. (Optional) For SNS topic, choose an Amazon SNS topic for receiving matchmaking event notifications. If you haven't yet set up an SNS topic, you can choose this later by editing the matchmaking configuration. For more information, see Set up FlexMatch event notifications.

   2. (Optional) For Custom event data, enter any custom data that you want to associate with this matchmaker in event messaging. FlexMatch includes this data in every event associated with the matchmaker.

9. (Optional) Under Tags, add tags to help you manage and track your AWS resources.

10. Choose Next.

11. On the Review and create page, review your choices, and then choose Create. Upon successful creation, the matchmaker is ready to accept matchmaking requests.

AWS CLI

To create a matchmaking configuration with the AWS CLI, open a command line window and use the create-matchmaking-configuration command to define a new matchmaker.

This example command creates a new matchmaking configuration for a standalone matchmaker that requires player acceptance.

aws gamelift create-matchmaking-configuration \
    --name "SampleMatchamker123" \
    --description "The sample test matchmaker with acceptance" \
    --flex-match-mode STANDALONE \
    --rule-set-name "MyRuleSetOne" \
    --request-timeout-seconds 120 \
    --acceptance-required \
    --acceptance-timeout-seconds 30 \
    --notification-target "arn:aws:sns:us-west-2:111122223333:My_Matchmaking_SNS_Topic"

If the matchmaking configuration creation request is successful, Amazon GameLift returns a MatchmakingConfiguration object with the settings that you requested for the matchmaker. The new matchmaker is ready to accept matchmaking requests.

Edit a matchmaking configuration

To edit a matchmaking configuration, choose Matchmaking configurations from the navigation bar and choose the configuration you want to edit. You can update any field in an existing configuration except for it's name.

When updating a configurations rule set, a new rule set can be incompatible if there are existing active matchmaking tickets for the following reasons:

• New or different team names or number of teams

• New player attributes

• Changes to existing player attribute types

To make any of the these changes to your rule set, create a new matchmaking configuration with the updated rule set.