Matchmaking in multiplayer gaming

A multiplayer game matchmaking system for grouping a plurality of players into a multiplayer game session of a multiplayer game, the multiplayer game matchmaking system comprising:

• a matchmaking program comprising instructions stored in a mass storage of the multiplayer game matchmaking system, the matchmaking program configured to:
• receive a first match request for the multiplayer game session from a client device associated with a first requesting player, the first match request including one or more of a plurality of requested player attributes;
• deliver the first match request to a multiplayer game hopper;
• receive a plurality of other match requests from client devices of other requesting players, one of the plurality of other match requests being a second match request from a client device associated with a second requesting player, the second match request including one or more of the plurality of requested player attributes;
• match the first match request with the second match request based on matching the requested player attributes in the first and second match requests, to thereby form a multiplayer game match;
• and
• send a notification of the multiplayer game match to the client device of the first requesting player, the notification configured to be received by the client device while the client device runs a user session that is different from the multiplayer game session, and the notification including a selectable element configured to instantiate on the client device the multiplayer game session in place of the user session when the selectable element is selected.

At a multiplayer game matchmaking system, a method for grouping a plurality of players into a multiplayer game session of a multiplayer game, comprising:

• receiving a first match request for the multiplayer game session from a client device associated with a first requesting player, the first match request including one or more requested player attributes;
• delivering the first match request to a multiplayer game hopper;
• receiving a plurality of other match requests from client devices of other requesting players, one of the plurality of other match requests being a second match request from a client device associated with a second requesting player, the second match request including one or more of the requested player attributes;
• matching the first match request with the second match request based on matching the requested player attributes in the first and second match requests, to thereby form a multiplayer game match;
• and
• sending a notification of the multiplayer game match to another client device associated with the first requesting player, the notification configured to be received by the other client device while the other client device runs another user session that is different from the multiplayer game session, and the notification including a selectable element configured to instantiate on the other client device the multiplayer game session in place of the other user session when the selectable element is selected.