How does matchmaking work? When I log into my client, what happens?

Your client connects to our universe services, just like it actually does a little of this already with the hangar. And when you enter your ship and go select what you want your match to be, then it will connect you to a game server that the matchmaking service chooses that's available, when it talks to an instance manager that tracks all the game server instances running. And then your client then redirects its CryNetwork, its gameplay connection, to that game server. And then the match starts up.