Party Formation Friction

The UX obstacles between a group of friends deciding to play together and actually being in a match, invites, platform differences, region locks, lobby waiting, and communication failures.

In games, this means

Every extra step between 'let's play' and 'we are in a match' loses players. Cross-platform invites that require sharing friend codes, lobbies that dissolve when one player disconnects, and UI that buries the 'invite friend' option three menus deep all create party formation friction. The test: can two friends in different locations be in a match together in under 60 seconds?