diff --git a/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Program.cs b/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Program.cs
index 07e87b8..39b1ac6 100644
--- a/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Program.cs
+++ b/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Program.cs
@@ -149,7 +149,18 @@ public class Program
         builder.Services.AddTransient<ShadowverseTranslationMiddleware>();
         builder.Services.AddTransient<SessionidMappingMiddleware>();
         builder.Services.AddSingleton<ShadowverseSessionService>();
-        builder.Services.AddSingleton<ISteamServer, FacepunchSteamServer>();
+        // Steam ticket validation seam. Production uses Facepunch against real Steam. Local dev
+        // can opt into a no-op validator via Auth:BypassSteamTicket so clients without a real
+        // Steam session (e.g. a second same-machine instance for the two-client PvP smoke) can
+        // authenticate. Gate is config-only and ships false everywhere except Development.
+        if (builder.Configuration.GetValue<bool>("Auth:BypassSteamTicket"))
+        {
+            builder.Services.AddSingleton<ISteamServer, DevAlwaysValidSteamServer>();
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            builder.Services.AddSingleton<ISteamServer, FacepunchSteamServer>();
+        }
         builder.Services.AddSingleton<SteamSessionService>();
         builder.Services.AddAuthentication()
             .AddScheme<SteamAuthenticationHandlerOptions, SteamSessionAuthenticationHandler>(