diff --git a/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/Contracts.cs b/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/Contracts.cs
index 1bd8ef0..7f3658e 100644
--- a/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/Contracts.cs
+++ b/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/Contracts.cs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ public record GameStateDto(
     bool Ranked,
     int Stake);
 
-public record MatchmakingStateDto(string Phase, int Players, int? QueuePosition);
+public record QueuePlayerDto(string Id, string Name, string Avatar, string? AvatarImage, int Level);
+public record MatchmakingStateDto(string Phase, int Players, int? QueuePosition, QueuePlayerDto[]? Queue = null);
 public record ReactionDto(int Seat, string Reaction);
 
 public static class Map
diff --git a/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs b/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs
index ef39b66..15fa8f3 100644
--- a/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs
+++ b/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs
@@ -88,13 +88,16 @@ public sealed partial class GameManager
         }
     }
 
-    /// <summary>Push the current queue size to every waiting player (call inside _mmLock).</summary>
+    /// <summary>Push the current queue size + player list to every waiting player (call inside _mmLock).</summary>
     private void BroadcastQueueLocked()
     {
-        int n = _waiting.Count;
+        var queue = _waiting
+            .Select(w => new QueuePlayerDto(w.player.UserId, w.player.Name, w.player.Avatar, w.player.AvatarImage, w.player.Level))
+            .ToArray();
+        int n = queue.Length;
         foreach (var w in _waiting)
             _ = _hub.Clients.User(w.player.UserId).SendAsync("matchmaking",
-                new MatchmakingStateDto("searching", n, null));
+                new MatchmakingStateDto("searching", n, null, queue));
     }
 
     /// <summary>Client safety net: re-send the current game state to a player who
diff --git a/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts b/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts
index 663f649..1478a58 100644
--- a/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts
+++ b/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts
@@ -159,8 +159,9 @@ export class SignalrService implements OnlineService {
       .configureLogging(signalR.LogLevel.Warning)
       .build();
 
-    conn.on("matchmaking", (s: { phase: string; players: number; queuePosition: number | null }) =>
-      this.emitMM(s.phase, s.queuePosition ?? undefined, s.players));
+    conn.on("matchmaking", (s: { phase: string; players: number; queuePosition: number | null; queue?: Array<{ id: string; name: string; avatar: string; avatarImage?: string; level: number }> }) =>
+      this.emitMM(s.phase, s.queuePosition ?? undefined, s.players,
+        s.queue?.map(p => ({ id: p.id, displayName: p.name, avatar: p.avatar, avatarImage: p.avatarImage, level: p.level, rating: 0 }))));
     conn.on("matchFound", () => {
       this.emitMM("ready");
       // Safety net: if the initial state never lands (dropped/raced), ask the
@@ -226,10 +227,15 @@ export class SignalrService implements OnlineService {
     }
   }
 
-  private emitMM(phase: string, queuePosition?: number, waiting?: number) {
+  private emitMM(
+    phase: string,
+    queuePosition?: number,
+    waiting?: number,
+    queuePlayers?: Array<{ id: string; displayName: string; avatar: string; avatarImage?: string; level: number; rating: number }>
+  ) {
     const state: MatchmakingState = {
       phase: phase as MatchmakingState["phase"],
-      players: [],
+      players: queuePlayers ?? [],
       elapsedMs: 0,
       ranked: this.mmRanked,
       stake: this.mmStake,