diff --git a/core/protocol/cnpeer.go b/core/protocol/cnpeer.go
index a69e5ee..8b11ee6 100644
--- a/core/protocol/cnpeer.go
+++ b/core/protocol/cnpeer.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type CNPeer struct {
 	E_key     []byte
 	FE_key    []byte
 	AccountID int
+	PlayerID  int32
 	whichKey  int
 	alive     bool
 }
diff --git a/shard/join.go b/shard/join.go
index b0b9a04..88f4046 100644
--- a/shard/join.go
+++ b/shard/join.go
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ func (server *ShardServer) RequestEnter(peer *protocol.CNPeer, pkt protocol.Pack
 	peer.FE_key = loginData.FEKey
 	peer.SetActiveKey(protocol.USE_FE)
 
+	// setup peer
+	peer.PlayerID = loginData.PlayerID
+	peer.AccountID = loginData.AccountID
+
 	log.Printf("Player %d (AccountID %d) entered\n", resp.IID, loginData.AccountID)
 	return peer.Send(protocol.P_FE2CL_REP_PC_ENTER_SUCC, resp)
 }
@@ -57,9 +61,9 @@ func (server *ShardServer) LoadingComplete(peer *protocol.CNPeer, pkt protocol.P
 	var loadComplete protocol.SP_CL2FE_REQ_PC_LOADING_COMPLETE
 	pkt.Decode(&loadComplete)
 
-	plr := server.LoadPlayer(peer)
-	if plr == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("peer has no player attached!")
+	plr, err := server.LoadPlayer(peer)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	return peer.Send(protocol.P_FE2CL_REP_PC_LOADING_COMPLETE_SUCC, protocol.SP_FE2CL_REP_PC_LOADING_COMPLETE_SUCC{IPC_ID: int32(plr.PlayerID)})
diff --git a/shard/shardServer.go b/shard/shardServer.go
index 92c8d8c..d1fa742 100644
--- a/shard/shardServer.go
+++ b/shard/shardServer.go
@@ -18,14 +18,13 @@ type PacketHandler func(peer *protocol.CNPeer, pkt protocol.Packet) error
 func stubbedPacket(_ *protocol.CNPeer, _ protocol.Packet) error { /* stubbed */ return nil }
 
 type ShardServer struct {
-	listener           net.Listener
-	port               int
-	dbHndlr            *db.DBHandler
-	redisHndlr         *redis.RedisHandler
-	packetHandlers     map[uint32]PacketHandler
-	loginMetadataQueue sync.Map // [int64]*LoginMetadata w/ int64 = serialKey
-	peersLock          sync.Mutex
-	peers              sync.Map // [*protocol.CNPeer]core.Player
+	listener       net.Listener
+	port           int
+	dbHndlr        *db.DBHandler
+	redisHndlr     *redis.RedisHandler
+	packetHandlers map[uint32]PacketHandler
+	peersLock      sync.Mutex
+	peers          map[*protocol.CNPeer]*core.Player
 }
 
 func NewShardServer(dbHndlr *db.DBHandler, redisHndlr *redis.RedisHandler, port int) (*ShardServer, error) {
@@ -93,63 +92,46 @@ func (server *ShardServer) HandlePacket(peer *protocol.CNPeer, typeID uint32, pk
 
 func (server *ShardServer) Disconnect(peer *protocol.CNPeer) {
 	log.Printf("Peer %p disconnected from SHARD\n", peer)
-	server.peers.Delete(peer)
+	delete(server.peers, peer)
 }
 
 func (server *ShardServer) Connect(peer *protocol.CNPeer) {
 	log.Printf("New peer %p connected to SHARD\n", peer)
-	server.peers.Store(peer, nil)
+	server.peers[peer] = nil
 }
 
-func (server *ShardServer) LoadPlayer(peer *protocol.CNPeer) *core.Player {
-	val, ok := server.peers.Load(peer)
+// Returns a copy of the player
+func (server *ShardServer) LoadPlayer(peer *protocol.CNPeer) (core.Player, error) {
+	plr, ok := server.peers[peer]
 	if !ok {
-		return nil
+		return core.Player{}, fmt.Errorf("Player not found")
 	}
 
-	plr, ok := val.(*core.Player)
-	if !ok {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	return plr
+	return *plr, nil
 }
 
 // UpdatePlayer locks the peers map, and calls the provided callback. The returned new pointer will be stored, however if an error returns it will be passed back.
 // Since it is UNSAFE to write to the returned pointer from LoadPlayer, this wrapper is for the cases that state in the player struct needs to be updated.
-// TODO: maybe LoadPlayer should return a player by value instead?
-// The pointers new and old may be the same if you are just updating struct fields.
+// The pointers new and old may be the same if you are just updating struct fields. This function should NOT be called recursively.
 func (server *ShardServer) UpdatePlayer(peer *protocol.CNPeer, f func(old *core.Player) (new *core.Player, err error)) error {
 	server.peersLock.Lock()
 	defer server.peersLock.Unlock()
 
 	// on fail, the player should not be stored
-	new, err := f(server.LoadPlayer(peer))
+	new, err := f(server.peers[peer])
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	server.storePlayer(peer, new)
+	server.peers[peer] = new
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (server *ShardServer) storePlayer(peer *protocol.CNPeer, player *core.Player) {
-	server.peers.Store(peer, player)
-}
-
-// Simple wrapper for server.peers.Range, if f returns false the iteration is stopped.
-func (server *ShardServer) RangePeers(f func(peer *protocol.CNPeer, player *core.Player) bool) {
-	server.peers.Range(func(key, value any) bool { // simple wrapper to cast the datatypes
-		peer, ok := key.(*protocol.CNPeer)
-		if !ok { // this should never happen
-			panic(fmt.Errorf("ShardServer.peers has an invalid key: peers[%#v] = %#v", key, value))
+// If f returns false the iteration is stopped.
+func (server *ShardServer) RangePeers(f func(peer *protocol.CNPeer) bool) {
+	for peer := range server.peers {
+		if f(peer) {
+			return
 		}
-
-		player, ok := value.(*core.Player)
-		if !ok { // this should also never happen
-			panic(fmt.Errorf("ShardServer.peers has an invalid value: peers[%#v] = %#v", key, value))
-		}
-
-		return f(peer, player)
-	})
+	}
 }