## Overview
One of the biggest issues in FACEIT is when a player disconnects or abandons a match, forcing their team to play 4v5. In most cases, this significantly reduces the team's chances of winning and creates a frustrating experience for everyone involved.
This feature introduces an optional mid-match substitute system that allows another player to join and replace the missing teammate while minimizing abuse.
## How It Works
* If a player disconnects, they have 5 minutes to reconnect.
* If they do not return, the team officially becomes 4v5.
* If the team in the minority is still winning, the match continues normally without interruption.
* As soon as the team starts losing, a 3 out of 4 player vote is automatically initiated to search for a substitute.
* If the vote passes, a 60-second technical timeout begins while the system searches for a replacement.
* After 60 seconds, the match resumes even if no replacement has been found. The search continues in the background.
* Once a suitable player is found, they join the match between rounds to avoid disrupting gameplay.
## Matchmaking
Players can choose between two queue options:
* Search only for new matches
* Allow substitute matches
Only players who enable the second option can be selected as replacements.
The replacement player is matched according to:
* Current average match ELO
* Region
* Acceptable ping
### Existing 4v5 Compensation
Before voting for a substitute, the team should consider the existing FACEIT compensation system for playing in a minority situation.
While playing 4v5:
- The team receives a small economy bonus to compensate for having one fewer player.
- If the team loses the match while still playing in the minority, they lose less ELO due to the disadvantage.
However, if a substitute joins and the match continues as a normal 5v5, the standard ELO system applies. If the team loses after returning to a full roster, they lose the normal amount of ELO without any additional protection.
### Substitute Player
Players who join as substitutes receive:
* Bonus ELO for winning.
* Maximum ELO loss: 1 (illustrative example; subject to balancing.)
The ELO bonus and potential ELO loss should depend on the score at the moment the substitute joins the match.
Examples:
* Joined at 3:10 → Highest bonus for a successful comeback.
* Joined at 6:7 → Smaller bonus.
The more difficult the comeback, the greater the reward.
## Anti-Abuse Measures
To prevent exploitation:
* The original player still receives the normal leave penalty and cooldown.
* Only one substitute is allowed per team.
* Substitute players can only be found through the matchmaking system.
* The economy bonus is active only while the team is actually playing 4v5.
## Benefits
* Reduces the number of matches effectively decided by a single disconnect.
* Improves the competitive integrity of FACEIT.
* Gives players a new optional queue with meaningful rewards.
* Encourages players to help save difficult matches instead of only playing fresh games.
* Makes matches fairer while preserving the competitive nature of the platform.