diff --git a/client/src/scenes/menu.navigation.js b/client/src/scenes/menu.navigation.js
index e2b9bdd2..6ffcc4e6 100644
--- a/client/src/scenes/menu.navigation.js
+++ b/client/src/scenes/menu.navigation.js
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ class MenuNavigation extends Phaser.Scene {
             .setOrigin(0)
             .on('pointerdown', () => {
                 const team = this.registry.get('cryps').filter(c => c.active).map(c => c.id);
-                if (team.length === 0) return false;
                 ws.sendGamePvp(team);
                 return this.scene.restart();
             });
@@ -115,7 +114,6 @@ class MenuNavigation extends Phaser.Scene {
             .setOrigin(0)
             .on('pointerdown', () => {
                 const team = this.registry.get('cryps').filter(c => c.active).map(c => c.id);
-                if (team.length === 0) return false;
                 ws.sendGamePve(team, 'Normal');
                 return this.scene.restart();
             });
diff --git a/server/src/game.rs b/server/src/game.rs
index f367b565..ceff41a4 100644
--- a/server/src/game.rs
+++ b/server/src/game.rs
@@ -678,6 +678,10 @@ pub fn game_pve_new(cryp_ids: Vec<Uuid>, mode: PveMode, tx: &mut Transaction, ac
         .map(|id| cryp_get(tx, *id, account.id))
         .collect::<Result<Vec<Cryp>, Error>>()?;
 
+    if cryps.len() == 0 {
+        return Err(err_msg("no cryps selected"));
+    }
+
     if cryps.len() > 3 {
         return Err(err_msg("team size too large (3 max)"));
     }