From v6.7.18, rooms with at least two gameplay players can start with one ready player. Automatic starts and .start leave unready/AFK players out; if nobody is ready, the room waits. Spectators and referees do not count toward this two-player rule.
Newly unready players receive one shared extra five seconds on their first countdown during their stay. Several newly unready players add five seconds total, not five each. The same players receive no further extensions on later maps; leaving and rejoining gives a fresh allowance. The extension adds to the configured countdown and any existing chat extension.
| Availability | Standard, Mania 4K and Mania 7K; at least two gameplay players |
|---|---|
| Documentation status | Current behavior on v6.7.18+; check the room version during rollout |
| Behavior reference | v6.7.18 · reviewed 2026-10-05 |
Download the current map and ready up. If another player stays AFK or has not downloaded it, you can use .start as an active gameplay player. Ready players can play while unready players sit out. If nobody is ready, at least one person must download the map and ready up first.
With a configured 15-second countdown, one ready player and one newly unready player get a 20-second countdown, before any other optional extension. If that second player stays unready on the next map, the same situation uses the normal 15 seconds. A different newly unready player can receive a fresh shared five-second window.
This change applies only with at least two gameplay players. A lone player still needs READY for automatic starting and may explicitly request .start without toggling READY first. Map availability, playlist, mod and referee checks remain in force. A successful .start disables optional .wait requests for that map; an unsuccessful no-ready request does not.
Requires a room worker on v6.7.18 or later, in Standard, Mania 4K or Mania 7K. During rollout, check the room title and Live lobbies. See release notes and how updates reach rooms.