Element select

Build 22 requires players to select an element and press READY before a match or rematch, with a 60-second fallback.

Evidence: 4 official · Last verified: 2026-11-15 · Sources: 1

Element select is the pre-match and rematch step where you choose the element your character will use. In Build 22, the game no longer automatically chooses an element for you: select one and press READY before the match can begin. If not everyone is ready, the selection phase ends after 60 seconds and players who are still unready receive their picked or marked element.

How to Complete

Use Element select whenever Flowbound is preparing to start a match or rematch:

1. Review the available elements shown in the selection screen.
2. Pick the element you want to use.
3. Press READY to confirm your selection.
4. Wait for the other players to become ready.
5. Start the match once everyone has confirmed.

The match begins when everyone is ready. There is no automatic element selection immediately before a match or rematch, so do not expect the game to choose one for you. Your previous element is only marked; it is not automatically selected as your active choice.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1. Enter the selection phase

After Flowbound prepares a match or rematch, the Element select phase appears. This is the point where each player confirms the element they want to bring into the upcoming match.

The mechanic applies to both a new match and a rematch. Treat each selection phase as a separate confirmation step rather than assuming that your previous choice will automatically carry over.

2. Choose an element

Select an element from the available choices. The game does not pick an element for you anymore, so you must actively make a selection before confirming readiness.

Your last element is only marked. The mark indicates the previous element associated with your selection state, but it does not replace the action of picking an element for the new match or rematch.

3. Press READY

After choosing an element, press READY. This confirms that you have completed your selection and allows the match to proceed once the other players have also confirmed.

Picking an element without pressing READY does not complete the process. Make sure the ready confirmation is registered before waiting for the rest of the players.

4. Wait for all players

The match starts when everyone is ready. If all players confirm before the timer expires, the selection phase ends through the normal ready-up process and the match begins.

If another player has not confirmed, continue waiting during the selection phase. The game allows the remaining players time to choose and ready up rather than immediately forcing the match to start.

5. Handle the 60-second fallback

After 60 seconds, players who are still not ready receive their picked or marked element. This is the fallback for players who do not complete the ready-up step in time.

The current timeout is 60 seconds. Earlier behavior used a shorter 10-to-15-second timeout, but that is no longer the active timing for Element select in Build 22. If you want to control the result, choose your element and press READY instead of relying on the timeout.

Tips

• Select an element deliberately before confirming; the game no longer makes the choice automatically.
• Press READY after picking. A selection alone is not the complete confirmation step.
• Check which element is marked from your previous selection, especially if you are entering a rematch. The marked element may be used by the timeout fallback, but it is not automatically active at the start of selection.
• If another player is taking time, the match can still proceed through the normal ready process once everyone confirms.
• Remember that the fallback occurs after 60 seconds, not the previous 10-to-15-second window.
• To avoid an unexpected result, do not depend on the timeout. Pick the intended element and ready up yourself.

Timeout Behavior

The timeout does not create a new automatic element choice. Instead, players who remain unready after 60 seconds receive either the element they picked or the element marked from their previous selection. This makes the marked element a fallback reference rather than a replacement for selecting and confirming.

Version

The current Element select behavior is part of Build 22, dated November 12, 2026. The build changed the mechanic so that players must pick an element and press READY, while also extending the fallback timeout from 10-to-15 seconds to 60 seconds.

Details

selection

Nothing is picked automatically before a match or rematch. The player's last element is only marked.

ready

Pick an element and press READY. The match starts when everyone is ready.

timeout

After 60 s, players who are not ready get their picked or marked element; the previous timeout was 10 to 15 s.

build

Build 22 · November 12, 2026

Sources

• Flowbound — Patch notes · Flowbound