NoelStephensUnity · Oct 7, 2026 · Oct 7, 2026 · Oct 7, 2026 · Oct 7, 2026 · Oct 7, 2026
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     # 2. For all unified editors (currently a single pinned alpha, see project.metafile)
 
 # QUALITY CONSIDERATIONS--------------------------------------------------------------------
-  # manifest-unified.json takes N4E from unity/unity trunk, so this job can break on N4E changes made outside NGO.
+  # testproject takes N4E from unity/unity trunk, so this job can break on N4E changes made outside NGO.
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -34,11 +34,6 @@ unified_test_{{ project.name }}_{{ platform.name }}_{{ editor }}:
     UNIFIED_TESTS: "true"
 
   commands:
-    # Swap in the manifest that takes N4E from unity/unity trunk Workspace/com.unity.netcode.
-    - cp {{ project.path }}/Packages/manifest-unified.json {{ project.path }}/Packages/manifest.json
-    # Turn the unified API on. UNIFIED_NETCODE is opt-in, and N4E keeps its GameObject bridge internal
-    # until NETCODE_GAMEOBJECT_BRIDGE_EXPERIMENTAL is defined, so both are needed here and nowhere else.
-    - sed -i "s/UNITY_NETCODE_NATIVE_COLLECTION_SUPPORT/UNITY_NETCODE_NATIVE_COLLECTION_SUPPORT;NETCODE_GAMEOBJECT_BRIDGE_EXPERIMENTAL;UNIFIED_NETCODE;OUT_OF_BAND_RPC/" {{ project.path }}/ProjectSettings/ProjectSettings.asset
     - unity-downloader-cli --fast --wait -u {{ editor }} -c Editor --arch {{ platform.architecture }}
     - UnifiedTestRunner --testproject={{ project.path }} --suite=playmode --artifacts-path=test-results --editor-location=.Editor --rerun-strategy=Test --retry={{ num_test_retries }} --clean-library-on-rerun --timeout={{ test_timeout }}
   artifacts:

@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
 using Unity.Netcode.Editor;
-#else
-using Unity.NetCode;
-using Unity.NetCode.Editor;
-#endif
 #endif
 using UnityEditor;
 using UnityEngine;

@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
     "versionDefines": [
         {
             "name": "com.unity.netcode",
-            "expression": "7.0.0",
-            "define": "UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0"
+            "expression": "7.2.0",
+            "define": "UNIFIED_NETCODE"
         },
         {
             "name": "com.unity.multiplayer.tools",

@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
 using Unity.Mathematics;
-#if !UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
-using Unity.NetCode;
-#endif
 using Unity.Transforms;
 using UnityEngine;
 
@@ -126,11 +123,10 @@ internal void UpdateGhostOwner(NetworkManager networkManager, ulong ownerClientI
         }
     }
 
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
     /// <summary>
     /// Stands in for N4E's <c>GhostObject.ApplyPostTransformMatrixScale</c>, which 7.0.0 removed along with the
     /// non-uniform scale rework that gave the GameObject-to-entity transform sync ownership of the
-    /// <see cref="PostTransformMatrix"/>. 6.7.0 still has the method, so this is only compiled against 7.0.0.
+    /// <see cref="PostTransformMatrix"/>.
     /// Remove it once N4E exposes a supported way to push scale to a ghost.
     /// </summary>
     internal static class GhostObjectScaleExtensions
@@ -164,6 +160,5 @@ internal static void ApplyPostTransformMatrixScale(this GhostObject ghost, Vecto
             entityManager.SetComponentData(entity, localTransform);
         }
     }
-#endif
 }
 #endif
@@ -1,13 +1,7 @@
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE && !NETCODE_GAMEOBJECT_BRIDGE_EXPERIMENTAL
-#error UNIFIED_NETCODE also requires NETCODE_GAMEOBJECT_BRIDGE_EXPERIMENTAL: Netcode for Entities keeps its GameObject bridge (GhostObject, GhostBehaviour, GhostField) internal until that define is set.
-#endif
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using Unity.Entities;
-#if !UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
-using Unity.NetCode;
-#endif
 using UnityEngine;
 
 namespace Unity.Netcode
@@ -17,6 +11,11 @@ namespace Unity.Netcode
     /// Handles the bootstrap process for both client and server in unified mode. This is used to create the world and set it on the
     /// NetworkManager during initialization.
     /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>
+    /// Entities picks this as the startup bootstrap, which only creates a local world. Do not add
+    /// [DisableBootstrapOverrides]: Netcode for Entities' own bootstrap would then run and, unless automatic
+    /// bootstrapping is disabled, create a host world that holds the port a hybrid session listens on.
+    /// </remarks>
     internal class UnifiedBootstrap : ClientServerBootstrap
     {
         public static UnifiedBootstrap Instance { get; private set; }

@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using Unity.Collections;
 using Unity.Entities;
-#if !UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
-using Unity.NetCode;
-#endif
 using UnityEngine;
 
 namespace Unity.Netcode.Components

@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@
             }
 
             // Clears any registration left behind by a prior Initialize call.
-            if (NetworkTransform != null)
+            if (NetworkTransform)
             {
                 NetworkTransform.UnregisterRigidbody();
             }

@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
-#if !UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
-using NetcodeConfig = Unity.NetCode.NetCodeConfig;
-#endif
 
 namespace Unity.Netcode
 {

@@ -404,11 +404,13 @@ internal void InitializePrefabs()
 
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
         /// <summary>
-        /// Registers any prefab list assigned after Awake, and returns false for a distributed authority session with a hybrid prefab registered.
+        /// Registers any prefab list assigned after Awake and the <see cref="PlayerPrefab"/>, and returns false for a distributed authority session with a hybrid prefab registered.
         /// </summary>
-        internal bool InitializePrefabsForStart()
+        internal bool InitializePrefabsForStart(NetworkPrefabHandler prefabHandler)
         {
             InitializePrefabs();
+            // A player prefab outside the prefab lists still decides hybrid mode, so it is registered before the session starts.
+            prefabHandler.RegisterPlayerPrefab();
             return NetworkTopology != NetworkTopologyTypes.DistributedAuthority || Prefabs.ValidateForDistributedAuthority();
         }
 #endif

@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@
                 list.OnRemove -= RemoveTriggeredByNetworkPrefabList;
             }
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
-            m_RejectGhostPrefabs = false;
+            m_GhostPrefabRejection = null;
 #endif
         }
 
@@ -367,18 +367,20 @@
 
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
         internal const string DistributedAuthorityHybridPrefabError = "Distributed authority does not support hybrid prefabs.";
+        internal const string HybridPrefabAfterStartError = "Hybrid prefabs must be registered before the NetworkManager starts.";
 
         internal bool HasGhostPrefabs { get; private set; }
 
-        // Cleared in Shutdown.
-        private bool m_RejectGhostPrefabs;
+        // The error a hybrid prefab added during the session is rejected with, or null. Cleared in Shutdown.
+        private string m_GhostPrefabRejection;
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// A distributed authority session rejects hybrid prefabs added while it runs.
+        /// Hybrid mode is decided when the session starts. A distributed authority session, or one that started without
+        /// hybrid prefabs, rejects hybrid prefabs added while it runs.
         /// </summary>
         internal void OnSessionStarting(bool distributedAuthority)
         {
-            m_RejectGhostPrefabs = distributedAuthority;
+            m_GhostPrefabRejection = distributedAuthority ? DistributedAuthorityHybridPrefabError : HasGhostPrefabs ? null : HybridPrefabAfterStartError;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -426,9 +428,9 @@
             if (networkPrefab.HasGhost)
             {
                 // Registering a hybrid prefab mid-session would switch NetworkManager into hybrid mode and stop its send queue.
-                if (m_RejectGhostPrefabs)
+                if (m_GhostPrefabRejection != null)
                 {
-                    Debug.LogError($"{DistributedAuthorityHybridPrefabError} {networkPrefab.GetDebugName()} was not added.");
+                    Debug.LogError($"{m_GhostPrefabRejection} {networkPrefab.GetDebugName()} was not added.");
                     return false;
                 }
                 HasGhostPrefabs = true;

@@ -6,15 +6,8 @@
 using Unity.Entities;
 // N4E's own Netcode class cannot be aliased as "Netcode": inside namespace Unity.Netcode that name
 // resolves to the enclosing Unity.Netcode namespace before any file-scope alias is considered, so it gets
-// its own name here. 6.7.0 additionally keeps the config and world types under the older Unity.NetCode
-// casing, aliased to the 7.0.0 spellings so the use sites below read the same either way.
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
+// its own name here.
 using EntitiesNetcode = Unity.Netcode.Netcode;
-#else
-using EntitiesNetcode = Unity.NetCode.Netcode;
-using NetcodeConfig = Unity.NetCode.NetCodeConfig;
-using NetcodeWorld = Unity.NetCode.NetcodeWorld;
-#endif
 #endif
 using Unity.Netcode.Components;
 using Unity.Netcode.GameObjects.Timing;
@@ -25,7 +18,7 @@
 // - TestProject has been updated to include N4E.
 // - TestProject and Runtime tests have been updated to use UnifiedHost.
 // Remove the conditional compilation and just use the namespace.
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE && OUT_OF_BAND_RPC
+#if UNIFIED_NETCODE
 using Unity.Netcode.Unified;
 #endif
 using UnityEngine;
@@ -1256,7 +1249,7 @@
             // UnityTransport dependencies are then initialized
             RealTimeProvider = ComponentFactory.Create<IRealTimeProvider>(this);
 
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE && OUT_OF_BAND_RPC
+#if UNIFIED_NETCODE
             // TODO-FixMe:
             // We assign transport at this point to preceed the NetworkConnectionManager
             // being initialized. However, HasGhostPrefabs might not be set at this point
@@ -1368,7 +1361,7 @@
             }
 
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
-            if (!NetworkConfig.InitializePrefabsForStart())
+            if (!NetworkConfig.InitializePrefabsForStart(PrefabHandler))
             {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -1399,10 +1392,9 @@
                 EntitiesNetcode.Reset();
             }
 
-            /// !! Initialize worlds here !!
-            /// Worlds are created here: <see cref="UnifiedBootStrap.Initialize"/>
+            TypeManager.Initialize();
             UnifiedBootstrap.CurrentNetworkManagerForInitialization = this;
-            DefaultWorldInitialization.Initialize("Default World", false);
+            new UnifiedBootstrap().Initialize("Default World");
         }
 
         /// <summary>

@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@
 using Unity.Netcode.Components;
 using Unity.Netcode.Logging;
 using Unity.Netcode.Runtime;
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE && !UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
-using Unity.NetCode;
-#endif
 
 #if UNITY_EDITOR
 using UnityEditor;

@@ -282,7 +282,8 @@ public virtual void SetDirty(bool isDirty)
             if (m_IsDirty)
             {
 #if UNIFIED_NETCODE
-                if (m_NetworkBehaviour != null)
+                // The implicit bool skips a destroyed behaviour, whose name the warning reads; ?. would not.
+                if (m_NetworkBehaviour)
                 {
                     m_NetworkBehaviour.WarnIfNetworkVariableWrittenInPredictionLoop(Name);
                 }

@@ -188,13 +188,13 @@
                     m_GhostSynchronizationPendingRemoval.Add(networkObjectId);
                 }
                 else
-                if ((ghost.Value.RegistrationTime + spawnTimeout) < Time.realtimeSinceStartup)
-                {
-                    m_Log.Info(new Context(LogLevel.Developer, $"Registering {nameof(NetworkObject.SerializedObject)} for pending synchronization").AddInfo(nameof(NetworkObject.NetworkObjectId), networkObjectId));
+                    if ((ghost.Value.RegistrationTime + spawnTimeout) < Time.realtimeSinceStartup)
+                    {
+                        m_Log.Info(new Context(LogLevel.Developer, $"Registering {nameof(NetworkObject.SerializedObject)} for pending synchronization").AddInfo(nameof(NetworkObject.NetworkObjectId), networkObjectId));
 
-                    // Timed out entries are removed too
-                    m_GhostSynchronizationPendingRemoval.Add(ghost.Key);
-                }
+                        // Timed out entries are removed too
+                        m_GhostSynchronizationPendingRemoval.Add(ghost.Key);
+                    }
             }
 
             foreach (var networkObjectId in m_GhostSynchronizationPendingRemoval)

@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE && !UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
-using Unity.NetCode;
-#endif
 using UnityEngine;
 
 namespace Unity.Netcode

@@ -987,27 +987,27 @@
             }
             else
 #endif
-            // If scene management is disabled or the NetworkObject was dynamically spawned
-            if (!NetworkManager.NetworkConfig.EnableSceneManagement || !serializedObject.IsSceneObject)
-            {
-                networkObject = GetNetworkObjectToSpawn(serializedObject.Hash, serializedObject.OwnerClientId, position, rotation, serializedObject.IsSceneObject, instantiationData);
-            }
-            else // Get the in-scene placed NetworkObject
-            {
-                networkObject = NetworkManager.SceneManager.GetSceneRelativeInSceneNetworkObject(globalObjectIdHash, serializedObject.NetworkSceneHandle);
-                if (networkObject == null)
+                // If scene management is disabled or the NetworkObject was dynamically spawned
+                if (!NetworkManager.NetworkConfig.EnableSceneManagement || !serializedObject.IsSceneObject)
                 {
-                    NetworkLog.LogErrorServer(new Context(LogLevel.Error, $"{nameof(NetworkPrefab)} hash was not found! In-Scene placed {nameof(NetworkObject)} soft synchronization failure!").AddInfo(nameof(NetworkObject.GlobalObjectIdHash), globalObjectIdHash));
-                    return null;
+                    networkObject = GetNetworkObjectToSpawn(serializedObject.Hash, serializedObject.OwnerClientId, position, rotation, serializedObject.IsSceneObject, instantiationData);
                 }
-
-                // Since this NetworkObject is an in-scene placed NetworkObject, if it is disabled then enable it so
-                // NetworkBehaviours will have their OnNetworkSpawn method invoked
-                if (!networkObject.gameObject.activeInHierarchy)
+                else // Get the in-scene placed NetworkObject
                 {
-                    networkObject.gameObject.SetActive(true);
+                    networkObject = NetworkManager.SceneManager.GetSceneRelativeInSceneNetworkObject(globalObjectIdHash, serializedObject.NetworkSceneHandle);
+                    if (networkObject == null)
+                    {
+                        NetworkLog.LogErrorServer(new Context(LogLevel.Error, $"{nameof(NetworkPrefab)} hash was not found! In-Scene placed {nameof(NetworkObject)} soft synchronization failure!").AddInfo(nameof(NetworkObject.GlobalObjectIdHash), globalObjectIdHash));
+                        return null;
+                    }
+
+                    // Since this NetworkObject is an in-scene placed NetworkObject, if it is disabled then enable it so
+                    // NetworkBehaviours will have their OnNetworkSpawn method invoked
+                    if (!networkObject.gameObject.activeInHierarchy)
+                    {
+                        networkObject.gameObject.SetActive(true);
+                    }
                 }
-            }
             if (networkObject == null)
             {
                 return null;

@@ -1,15 +1,11 @@
-#if UNIFIED_NETCODE && OUT_OF_BAND_RPC
+#if UNIFIED_NETCODE
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using Unity.Burst;
 using Unity.Burst.Intrinsics;
 using Unity.Collections;
 using Unity.Collections.LowLevel.Unsafe;
 using Unity.Entities;
-#if !UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0
-using Unity.NetCode;
-using NetcodeConnectionEvent = Unity.NetCode.NetCodeConnectionEvent;
-#endif
 using Unity.Netcode.GameObjects.Timing;
 using Unity.Netcode.Transports.UTP;
 using UnityEngine;
@@ -168,7 +164,7 @@
             NetworkManager.MessageManager.ProcessSendQueues();
 
             using var commandBuffer = new EntityCommandBuffer(Allocator.Temp);
-            foreach(var (networkId, _, entity) in SystemAPI.Query<RefRO<NetworkId>, RefRO<NetworkStreamConnection>>().WithEntityAccess())
+            foreach (var (networkId, _, entity) in SystemAPI.Query<RefRO<NetworkId>, RefRO<NetworkStreamConnection>>().WithEntityAccess())
             {
                 var connectionId = networkId.ValueRO.Value;
                 DynamicBuffer<TransportRpcData> rpcs = EntityManager.GetBuffer<TransportRpcData>(entity);
@@ -179,7 +175,7 @@
                     {
                         Transport.DispatchMessage(connectionId, buffer);
                     }
-                    catch(Exception e)
+                    catch (Exception e)
                     {
                         Debug.LogException(e);
                     }
@@ -492,7 +488,7 @@
 
         public override void Shutdown()
         {
-            var netcodeWorld = m_NetworkManager != null ? m_NetworkManager.NetcodeWorld : null;
+            var netcodeWorld = m_NetworkManager ? m_NetworkManager.NetcodeWorld : null;
             if (netcodeWorld != null)
             {
                 netcodeWorld.OnConnectionEvent -= OnClientConnectionEvent;

@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
     "versionDefines": [
         {
             "name": "com.unity.netcode",
-            "expression": "7.0.0",
-            "define": "UNIFIED_NETCODE_7_0_0"
+            "expression": "7.2.0",
+            "define": "UNIFIED_NETCODE"
         },
         {
             "name": "com.unity.multiplayer.tools",