US Patent 11376499 Synchronization model for virtual tournaments

Data characterizing two players enrolled in a tournament of an online video game is received. Each player is executing a separate instance of the online video game. The online video game is asynchronous between the two players. The data is received by a tournament server hosting the tournament and separate from a game server providing game data to clients associated with the two players. An instruction for synchronous initiation of gameplay between the two players is generated. The instruction is transmitted to the clients associated with the two players, the instruction causing synchronous initiation of the asynchronous games for the two players. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.