diff --git a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/MainMenuController.cs b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/MainMenuController.cs
index 2c433a80f..d7db49edc 100644
--- a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/MainMenuController.cs
+++ b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/MainMenuController.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ namespace ProjectM.Client
         VisualElement _mainPanel;
         VisualElement _settingsPanel;
         TextField _ipField;
+        Label _classLabel;
 
         void Awake()
         {
@@ -53,6 +54,17 @@ namespace ProjectM.Client
             _mainPanel = MenuUi.FullScreenRoot(true);
             var card = MenuUi.Card("PROJECT M");
             card.Add(MenuUi.Caption("Frontier colony — co-op"));
+            // Slice 2: class picker -> sets WorldLauncher.SelectedClass for the next session (Warrior melee / Ranger ranged).
+            _classLabel = new Label(ClassName(WorldLauncher.SelectedClass));
+            _classLabel.style.unityTextAlign = TextAnchor.MiddleCenter;
+            _classLabel.style.marginTop = 6; _classLabel.style.marginBottom = 2;
+            card.Add(_classLabel);
+            var classRow = new VisualElement();
+            classRow.style.flexDirection = FlexDirection.Row;
+            classRow.style.justifyContent = Justify.Center;
+            classRow.Add(MenuUi.Button("Warrior", () => SelectClass((byte)CharacterId.Warrior)));
+            classRow.Add(MenuUi.Button("Ranger", () => SelectClass((byte)CharacterId.Ranger)));
+            card.Add(classRow);
 
             card.Add(MenuUi.Button("Single Player", () => Launch(SessionMode.Single, false)));
 
@@ -79,6 +91,14 @@ namespace ProjectM.Client
             WorldLauncher.StartSession(mode, ip, loadSave);
         }
 
+        void SelectClass(byte classId)
+        {
+            WorldLauncher.SelectedClass = classId;
+            if (_classLabel != null) _classLabel.text = ClassName(classId);
+        }
+
+        static string ClassName(byte classId) => classId == (byte)CharacterId.Ranger ? "CLASS:  Ranger (ranged)" : "CLASS:  Warrior (melee)";
+
         void ShowSettings()
         {
             _mainPanel.style.display = DisplayStyle.None;
diff --git a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/WorldLauncher.cs b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/WorldLauncher.cs
index 94919ecee..042261add 100644
--- a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/WorldLauncher.cs
+++ b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Client/UI/WorldLauncher.cs
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ namespace ProjectM.Client
 
         public static bool Busy { get; private set; }
 
+        /// <summary>Slice 2: the class chosen in the menu (a CharacterId byte), seeded into the client world at session start.</summary>
+        public static byte SelectedClass = (byte)CharacterId.Warrior;
+
         public static void StartSession(SessionMode mode, string joinIp, bool loadSave)
         {
             if (Busy) return;
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ namespace ProjectM.Client
 
             World server = null;
             World client = ClientServerBootstrap.CreateClientWorld("ClientWorld");
+            SeedClass(client, SelectedClass); // Slice 2: stage the chosen class for GoInGameClientSystem -> spawn
 
             if (mode == SessionMode.Join)
             {
@@ -101,6 +105,15 @@ namespace ProjectM.Client
             });
         }
 
+        static void SeedClass(World world, byte classId)
+        {
+            if (world is not { IsCreated: true }) return;
+            var em = world.EntityManager;
+            using var q = em.CreateEntityQuery(ComponentType.ReadWrite<ClassSelection>());
+            Entity e = q.IsEmptyIgnoreFilter ? em.CreateEntity(typeof(ClassSelection)) : q.GetSingletonEntity();
+            em.SetComponentData(e, new ClassSelection { ClassId = classId });
+        }
+
         static void StagePendingSave(World server)
         {
             var data = SaveService.Load();