diff --git a/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserPlayers.ts b/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserPlayers.ts
index 5881c7ff..3d9b6422 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserPlayers.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserPlayers.ts
@@ -88,8 +88,34 @@ export function useCreatePlayer() {
 
   return useMutation({
     mutationFn: createPlayer,
-    onSuccess: () => {
-      // Invalidate and refetch players list
+    onMutate: async (newPlayer) => {
+      // Cancel outgoing refetches
+      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: playerKeys.lists() })
+
+      // Snapshot previous value
+      const previousPlayers = queryClient.getQueryData<Player[]>(playerKeys.list())
+
+      // Optimistically update to new value
+      if (previousPlayers) {
+        const optimisticPlayer: Player = {
+          id: `temp-${Date.now()}`, // Temporary ID
+          ...newPlayer,
+          createdAt: new Date(),
+          isActive: newPlayer.isActive ?? false,
+        }
+        queryClient.setQueryData<Player[]>(playerKeys.list(), [...previousPlayers, optimisticPlayer])
+      }
+
+      return { previousPlayers }
+    },
+    onError: (_err, _newPlayer, context) => {
+      // Rollback on error
+      if (context?.previousPlayers) {
+        queryClient.setQueryData(playerKeys.list(), context.previousPlayers)
+      }
+    },
+    onSettled: () => {
+      // Always refetch after error or success
       queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: playerKeys.lists() })
     },
   })
@@ -103,11 +129,35 @@ export function useUpdatePlayer() {
 
   return useMutation({
     mutationFn: updatePlayer,
-    onSuccess: (updatedPlayer) => {
-      // Invalidate players list
+    onMutate: async ({ id, updates }) => {
+      // Cancel outgoing refetches
+      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: playerKeys.lists() })
+
+      // Snapshot previous value
+      const previousPlayers = queryClient.getQueryData<Player[]>(playerKeys.list())
+
+      // Optimistically update
+      if (previousPlayers) {
+        const optimisticPlayers = previousPlayers.map(player =>
+          player.id === id ? { ...player, ...updates } : player
+        )
+        queryClient.setQueryData<Player[]>(playerKeys.list(), optimisticPlayers)
+      }
+
+      return { previousPlayers }
+    },
+    onError: (_err, _variables, context) => {
+      // Rollback on error
+      if (context?.previousPlayers) {
+        queryClient.setQueryData(playerKeys.list(), context.previousPlayers)
+      }
+    },
+    onSettled: (_data, _error, { id }) => {
+      // Refetch after error or success
       queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: playerKeys.lists() })
-      // Update detail cache if it exists
-      queryClient.setQueryData(playerKeys.detail(updatedPlayer.id), updatedPlayer)
+      if (_data) {
+        queryClient.setQueryData(playerKeys.detail(id), _data)
+      }
     },
   })
 }
@@ -120,8 +170,29 @@ export function useDeletePlayer() {
 
   return useMutation({
     mutationFn: deletePlayer,
-    onSuccess: () => {
-      // Invalidate players list
+    onMutate: async (id) => {
+      // Cancel outgoing refetches
+      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: playerKeys.lists() })
+
+      // Snapshot previous value
+      const previousPlayers = queryClient.getQueryData<Player[]>(playerKeys.list())
+
+      // Optimistically remove from list
+      if (previousPlayers) {
+        const optimisticPlayers = previousPlayers.filter(player => player.id !== id)
+        queryClient.setQueryData<Player[]>(playerKeys.list(), optimisticPlayers)
+      }
+
+      return { previousPlayers }
+    },
+    onError: (_err, _id, context) => {
+      // Rollback on error
+      if (context?.previousPlayers) {
+        queryClient.setQueryData(playerKeys.list(), context.previousPlayers)
+      }
+    },
+    onSettled: () => {
+      // Refetch after error or success
       queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: playerKeys.lists() })
     },
   })
diff --git a/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserStats.ts b/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserStats.ts
index 6add06d7..c1bb391b 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserStats.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/hooks/useUserStats.ts
@@ -56,9 +56,32 @@ export function useUpdateUserStats() {
 
   return useMutation({
     mutationFn: updateUserStats,
-    onSuccess: (updatedStats) => {
-      // Update cache with new stats
-      queryClient.setQueryData(statsKeys.detail(), updatedStats)
+    onMutate: async (updates) => {
+      // Cancel outgoing refetches
+      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: statsKeys.detail() })
+
+      // Snapshot previous value
+      const previousStats = queryClient.getQueryData<UserStats>(statsKeys.detail())
+
+      // Optimistically update
+      if (previousStats) {
+        const optimisticStats = { ...previousStats, ...updates }
+        queryClient.setQueryData<UserStats>(statsKeys.detail(), optimisticStats)
+      }
+
+      return { previousStats }
+    },
+    onError: (_err, _updates, context) => {
+      // Rollback on error
+      if (context?.previousStats) {
+        queryClient.setQueryData(statsKeys.detail(), context.previousStats)
+      }
+    },
+    onSettled: (updatedStats) => {
+      // Update with server data on success
+      if (updatedStats) {
+        queryClient.setQueryData(statsKeys.detail(), updatedStats)
+      }
     },
   })
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/types/player.ts b/apps/web/src/types/player.ts
index a49c996f..e7a37045 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/types/player.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/types/player.ts
@@ -1,84 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * Player types for the new UUID-based player system
- * This replaces the old index-based (1-4) player system
- */
-
-export interface Player {
-  /** Globally unique identifier (nanoid) */
-  id: string
-
-  /** Display name */
-  name: string
-
-  /** Player emoji/avatar */
-  emoji: string
-
-  /** Player color (for UI theming) */
-  color: string
-
-  /** Creation timestamp */
-  createdAt: number
-
-  /** Optional: Device ID for multi-device sync */
-  deviceId?: string
-
-  /** Optional: Last sync timestamp */
-  syncedAt?: number
-
-  /** Optional: Whether this is a local or remote player */
-  isLocal?: boolean
-}
-
-/**
- * Storage format V2
- * Replaces the old UserProfile format with indexed players
- */
-export interface PlayerStorageV2 {
-  version: 2
-
-  /** All known players, keyed by ID */
-  players: Record<string, Player>
-
-  /** IDs of currently active players (order matters) */
-  activePlayerIds: string[]
-
-  /** Activation order mapping for sorting */
-  activationOrder: Record<string, number>
-}
-
-/**
- * Legacy storage format (V1)
- * Used for migration from old system
- */
-export interface UserProfileV1 {
-  player1Emoji: string
-  player2Emoji: string
-  player3Emoji: string
-  player4Emoji: string
-  player1Name: string
-  player2Name: string
-  player3Name: string
-  player4Name: string
-  gamesPlayed: number
-  totalWins: number
-  favoriteGameType: 'abacus-numeral' | 'complement-pairs' | null
-  bestTime: number | null
-  highestAccuracy: number
-}
-
-/**
- * New stats-only profile (player data moved to PlayerStorageV2)
- */
-export interface UserStatsProfile {
-  gamesPlayed: number
-  totalWins: number
-  favoriteGameType: 'abacus-numeral' | 'complement-pairs' | null
-  bestTime: number | null
-  highestAccuracy: number
-}
-
-/**
- * Default player colors (used during migration and player creation)
+ * Default player colors (used during player creation)
  */
 export const DEFAULT_PLAYER_COLORS = [
   '#3b82f6', // Blue
@@ -93,6 +14,20 @@ export const DEFAULT_PLAYER_COLORS = [
   '#84cc16', // Lime
 ]
 
+/**
+ * Client-side Player type (for contexts/components)
+ * Matches database Player type but with flexible createdAt
+ */
+export interface Player {
+  id: string
+  name: string
+  emoji: string
+  color: string
+  createdAt: Date | number
+  isActive?: boolean
+  isLocal?: boolean
+}
+
 /**
  * Get a color for a new player (cycles through defaults)
  */