Direct messages are real now
Private 1:1 messaging is live — message a friend, and blocking works exactly as you'd expect.
Messages is the second “(mockup)” page to graduate into a real feature. You can now send private direct messages to another player: open Messages, start a conversation (or hit “Message” next to a friend), and type.
Privacy is built into the foundations, not bolted on. A conversation is strictly between its two people — no one else can read it. And blocking is airtight: if you've blocked someone, they simply can't message you, and if someone blocked you, you won't be able to reach them either. That rule is enforced the moment you hit send, and again every time a conversation loads.
Under the hood it's the same discipline as the rest of the platform: the sender is always taken from your logged-in session (never something the page can fake), every message is stored exactly once, and nothing is ever quietly rewritten. Live delivery and typing indicators come next — for now a conversation refreshes itself while it's open.