Mapping Context ownership and lifecycle

Owner

Applied contexts belong to UEnhancedInputLocalPlayerSubsystem, so split-screen players and local profiles remain isolated. Obtain the ULocalPlayer from the correct PlayerController, then its subsystem. Never use player index 0 as a hidden assumption in reusable code.

Context design

• Base/common context: actions valid across related gameplay modes.
• Mode context: on-foot, vehicle, swimming, build mode, spectator.
• Overlay context: temporary targeting, radial menu, photo mode, debug.
• UI/Common UI: follow the project's UI input-routing architecture and UE 5.8 unified input workflow; do not merely stack a high-priority gameplay context over UI focus.

Prefer mutually exclusive mode contexts over collisions resolved only by enormous priority numbers. Priority is for intentional overlap, not lifecycle replacement.

Add/remove procedure

1. Resolve the correct Local Player subsystem.
2. Add each required context once with a documented priority.
3. On mode transition, remove the old mutually exclusive context, then add the new one.
4. Decide whether held inputs should remain active across the rebuild. Use FModifyContextOptions where the API exposes the needed behavior.
5. Remove temporary contexts on cancel, teardown, unpossess, or UI close.
6. Log applied context, priority, owner, reason, and lifecycle in development builds.

Possession

• PlayerController/LocalPlayer can outlive a Pawn.
• Put persistent player-wide context management on the PlayerController or LocalPlayer-facing service.
• Bind Pawn-specific action callbacks through SetupPlayerInputComponent and avoid repeated binding on repossession.
• When the Pawn changes, route semantic actions to the new controlled object and clear stale references/buffers.

Multiplayer

Enhanced Input runs locally. It does not replicate a context, trigger, or action value. Convert input to server-validated commands, GAS activation, or Character movement input through the appropriate networking system. Never treat the presence of an input action as proof that an authoritative action occurred.