diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/Multiplayer/GameplayChatDisplay.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/Multiplayer/GameplayChatDisplay.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b33fa1844
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/Multiplayer/GameplayChatDisplay.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+// Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
+// See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
+
+using osu.Framework.Allocation;
+using osu.Framework.Bindables;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay.Match.Components;
+using osu.Game.Screens.Play;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay.Multiplayer
+{
+    public class GameplayChatDisplay : MatchChatDisplay
+    {
+        [Resolved]
+        private ILocalUserPlayInfo localUserInfo { get; set; }
+
+        private IBindable<bool> localUserPlaying = new Bindable<bool>();
+
+        public Bindable<bool> Expanded = new Bindable<bool>();
+
+        private const float height = 100;
+
+        public GameplayChatDisplay()
+        {
+            RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.X;
+
+            Background.Alpha = 0.2f;
+        }
+
+        private void expandedChanged(ValueChangedEvent<bool> expanded)
+        {
+            if (expanded.NewValue)
+            {
+                this.FadeIn(300, Easing.OutQuint);
+                this.ResizeHeightTo(height, 500, Easing.OutQuint);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                this.FadeOut(300, Easing.OutQuint);
+                this.ResizeHeightTo(0, 500, Easing.OutQuint);
+            }
+        }
+
+        protected override void LoadComplete()
+        {
+            base.LoadComplete();
+
+            localUserPlaying = localUserInfo.IsPlaying.GetBoundCopy();
+            localUserPlaying.BindValueChanged(playing =>
+            {
+                // for now let's never hold focus. this avoid misdirected gameplay keys entering chat.
+                // note that this is done within this callback as it triggers an un-focus as well.
+                Textbox.HoldFocus = false;
+
+                // only hold focus (after sending a message) during breaks
+                Textbox.ReleaseFocusOnCommit = playing.NewValue;
+            }, true);
+
+            Expanded.BindValueChanged(expandedChanged, true);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/Multiplayer/MultiplayerPlayer.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/Multiplayer/MultiplayerPlayer.cs
index ca1a3710ab..24657943d7 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/Multiplayer/MultiplayerPlayer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/OnlinePlay/Multiplayer/MultiplayerPlayer.cs
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay.Multiplayer
             {
                 AutoSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                 Direction = FillDirection.Vertical,
+                Spacing = new Vector2(5)
             });
 
             // todo: this should be implemented via a custom HUD implementation, and correctly masked to the main content area.
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay.Multiplayer
 
                 ((IBindable<bool>)leaderboard.Expanded).BindTo(HUDOverlay.ShowHud);
 
-                leaderboardFlow.Add(l);
+                leaderboardFlow.Insert(0, l);
 
                 if (leaderboard.TeamScores.Count >= 2)
                 {
@@ -87,10 +88,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.OnlinePlay.Multiplayer
                         Team1Score = { BindTarget = leaderboard.TeamScores.First().Value },
                         Team2Score = { BindTarget = leaderboard.TeamScores.Last().Value },
                         Expanded = { BindTarget = HUDOverlay.ShowHud },
-                    }, leaderboardFlow.Add);
+                    }, scoreDisplay => leaderboardFlow.Insert(1, scoreDisplay));
                 }
             });
 
+            LoadComponentAsync(new GameplayChatDisplay
+            {
+                Expanded = { BindTarget = HUDOverlay.ShowHud },
+            }, chat => leaderboardFlow.Insert(2, chat));
+
             HUDOverlay.Add(loadingDisplay = new LoadingLayer(true) { Depth = float.MaxValue });
         }