Matchmaking
This is how matchmaking works in Trailz - and why it’s built this way.
Are matches against real players?
Yes. Trailz is built around real-time online matches.
There is one important exception:
Tutorial & early onboarding
Your first explanatory matches are played against tutorial bots.
This is done on purpose to:
Let you understand the controls and movement
Learn trail mechanics, turf capture, and risk
Build confidence before facing experienced players
Trailz is an easy to learn, hard to master kind of game. Throwing new players directly into live PvP can lead to confusion and frustration. Tutorial bots create a safe learning space so that when you enter real matches, you’re ready.
Once the tutorial phase ends, you move into online matchmaking.
When and why do bots appear?
Bots can appear in two situations:
1. Tutorial phase
Used exclusively for learning and onboarding, as described above.
2. Rare matchmaking edge cases
In rare situations, if matchmaking cannot find suitable real players quickly enough, a bot may be added to the match.
This exists to:
Avoid long wait times
Keep matches starting smoothly
Maintain pacing instead of forcing players to sit in queues
This is not the standard experience and does not replace real players in normal conditions.
How matchmaking actually works
Matchmaking in Trailz is gameplay-based, not just XP-based.
Your visible level or XP does not fully represent a player's gameplay profile. Instead, Trailz uses internal performance data to estimate overall skill.
The goal is to match players with similar overall ability, even if their progression levels look different.
The takeaway
Trailz is a real-time online PvP game
Tutorial bots exist to teach, not to replace players
Bots outside the tutorial are rare and situational
Matchmaking is based on skill, not just XP
The goal is fast, fair, competitive matches without long queues
If something feels off in a specific match, Our support is always happy to take a look.