diff --git a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
index 3ffb77e36..0cd0db4fb 100644
--- a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
+++ b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ import {
   GameStartInfo,
   PlayerRecord,
   ServerMessage,
+  Winner,
 } from "../core/Schemas";
 import { createGameRecord } from "../core/Util";
 import { ServerConfig } from "../core/configuration/Config";
 import { getConfig } from "../core/configuration/ConfigLoader";
-import { Cell, Team, UnitType } from "../core/game/Game";
+import { Cell, UnitType } from "../core/game/Game";
 import { TileRef } from "../core/game/GameMap";
 import {
   ErrorUpdate,
@@ -186,6 +187,13 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
     this.lastMessageTime = Date.now();
   }
 
+  private getWinner(update: WinUpdate): Winner {
+    if (update.winner[0] !== "player") return update.winner;
+    const clientId = this.gameView.playerBySmallID(update.winner[1]).clientID();
+    if (clientId === null) return;
+    return ["player", clientId];
+  }
+
   private saveGame(update: WinUpdate) {
     if (this.myPlayer === null) {
       return;
@@ -199,14 +207,7 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
         stats: update.allPlayersStats[this.lobby.clientID],
       },
     ];
-    let winner: ClientID | Team | null = null;
-    if (update.winnerType === "player") {
-      winner = this.gameView
-        .playerBySmallID(update.winner as number)
-        .clientID();
-    } else {
-      winner = update.winner as Team;
-    }
+    const winner = this.getWinner(update);
 
     if (this.lobby.gameStartInfo === undefined) {
       throw new Error("missing gameStartInfo");
@@ -220,7 +221,6 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
       startTime(),
       Date.now(),
       winner,
-      update.winnerType,
     );
     endGame(record);
   }
diff --git a/src/client/LocalServer.ts b/src/client/LocalServer.ts
index 12b8956bf..312395a24 100644
--- a/src/client/LocalServer.ts
+++ b/src/client/LocalServer.ts
@@ -193,8 +193,7 @@ export class LocalServer {
       this.turns,
       this.startedAt,
       Date.now(),
-      this.winner?.winner ?? null,
-      this.winner?.winnerType ?? null,
+      this.winner?.winner,
     );
     if (!saveFullGame) {
       // Clear turns because beacon only supports up to 64kb
diff --git a/src/client/Transport.ts b/src/client/Transport.ts
index b6f9bd9e4..0c84fbaf9 100644
--- a/src/client/Transport.ts
+++ b/src/client/Transport.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import {
   GameType,
   PlayerID,
   PlayerType,
-  Team,
   Tick,
   UnitType,
 } from "../core/game/Game";
@@ -14,7 +13,6 @@ import { PlayerView } from "../core/game/GameView";
 import {
   AllPlayersStats,
   ClientHashMessage,
-  ClientID,
   ClientIntentMessage,
   ClientJoinMessage,
   ClientLogMessage,
@@ -23,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   Intent,
   ServerMessage,
   ServerMessageSchema,
+  Winner,
 } from "../core/Schemas";
 import { LobbyConfig } from "./ClientGameRunner";
 import { LocalServer } from "./LocalServer";
@@ -142,9 +141,8 @@ export class SendSetTargetTroopRatioEvent implements GameEvent {
 
 export class SendWinnerEvent implements GameEvent {
   constructor(
-    public readonly winner: ClientID | Team,
+    public readonly winner: Winner,
     public readonly allPlayersStats: AllPlayersStats,
-    public readonly winnerType: "player" | "team",
   ) {}
 }
 export class SendHashEvent implements GameEvent {
@@ -537,7 +535,6 @@ export class Transport {
         type: "winner",
         winner: event.winner,
         allPlayersStats: event.allPlayersStats,
-        winnerType: event.winnerType,
       } satisfies ClientSendWinnerMessage;
       this.sendMsg(JSON.stringify(msg));
     } else {
diff --git a/src/client/graphics/layers/WinModal.ts b/src/client/graphics/layers/WinModal.ts
index c287530a8..ce0739e50 100644
--- a/src/client/graphics/layers/WinModal.ts
+++ b/src/client/graphics/layers/WinModal.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@ import { LitElement, css, html } from "lit";
 import { customElement, state } from "lit/decorators.js";
 import { translateText } from "../../../client/Utils";
 import { EventBus } from "../../../core/EventBus";
-import { Team } from "../../../core/game/Game";
 import { GameUpdateType } from "../../../core/game/GameUpdates";
-import { GameView, PlayerView } from "../../../core/game/GameView";
+import { GameView } from "../../../core/game/GameView";
 import { SendWinnerEvent } from "../../Transport";
 import { Layer } from "./Layer";
 
@@ -185,26 +184,23 @@ export class WinModal extends LitElement implements Layer {
     const updates = this.game.updatesSinceLastTick();
     const winUpdates = updates !== null ? updates[GameUpdateType.Win] : [];
     winUpdates.forEach((wu) => {
-      if (wu.winnerType === "team") {
-        this.eventBus.emit(
-          new SendWinnerEvent(wu.winner as Team, wu.allPlayersStats, "team"),
-        );
-        if (wu.winner === this.game.myPlayer()?.team()) {
+      if (wu.winner[0] === "team") {
+        this.eventBus.emit(new SendWinnerEvent(wu.winner, wu.allPlayersStats));
+        if (wu.winner[1] === this.game.myPlayer()?.team()) {
           this._title = translateText("win_modal.your_team");
         } else {
           this._title = translateText("win_modal.other_team", {
-            team: wu.winner,
+            team: wu.winner[1],
           });
         }
         this.show();
       } else {
-        const winner = this.game.playerBySmallID(
-          wu.winner as number,
-        ) as PlayerView;
+        const winner = this.game.playerBySmallID(wu.winner[1]);
+        if (!winner.isPlayer()) return;
         const winnerClient = winner.clientID();
         if (winnerClient !== null) {
           this.eventBus.emit(
-            new SendWinnerEvent(winnerClient, wu.allPlayersStats, "player"),
+            new SendWinnerEvent(["player", winnerClient], wu.allPlayersStats),
           );
         }
         if (
diff --git a/src/core/Schemas.ts b/src/core/Schemas.ts
index 377db35b0..5d681040e 100644
--- a/src/core/Schemas.ts
+++ b/src/core/Schemas.ts
@@ -391,11 +391,18 @@ export const ServerMessageSchema = z.union([
 
 // Client
 
+export const WinnerSchema = z
+  .union([
+    z.tuple([z.literal("player"), ID]),
+    z.tuple([z.literal("team"), SafeString]),
+  ])
+  .optional();
+export type Winner = z.infer<typeof WinnerSchema>;
+
 export const ClientSendWinnerSchema = z.object({
   type: z.literal("winner"),
-  winner: z.union([ID, TeamSchema]).nullable(),
+  winner: WinnerSchema,
   allPlayersStats: AllPlayersStatsSchema,
-  winnerType: z.enum(["player", "team"]),
 });
 
 export const ClientHashSchema = z.object({
@@ -451,8 +458,7 @@ export const GameEndInfoSchema = GameStartInfoSchema.extend({
   end: z.number(),
   duration: z.number().nonnegative(),
   num_turns: z.number(),
-  winner: z.union([ID, SafeString]).nullable().optional(),
-  winnerType: z.enum(["player", "team"]).nullable().optional(),
+  winner: WinnerSchema,
 });
 export type GameEndInfo = z.infer<typeof GameEndInfoSchema>;
 
diff --git a/src/core/Util.ts b/src/core/Util.ts
index 8cea53baf..fc2b40bca 100644
--- a/src/core/Util.ts
+++ b/src/core/Util.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 import DOMPurify from "dompurify";
 import { customAlphabet } from "nanoid";
 import twemoji from "twemoji";
-import { Cell, Team, Unit } from "./game/Game";
+import { Cell, Unit } from "./game/Game";
 import { GameMap, TileRef } from "./game/GameMap";
 import {
-  ClientID,
   GameConfig,
   GameID,
   GameRecord,
   PlayerRecord,
   Turn,
+  Winner,
 } from "./Schemas";
 
 import {
@@ -191,8 +191,7 @@ export function createGameRecord(
   allTurns: Turn[],
   start: number,
   end: number,
-  winner: ClientID | Team | null,
-  winnerType: "player" | "team" | null,
+  winner: Winner,
 ): GameRecord {
   const duration = Math.floor((end - start) / 1000);
   const version = "v0.0.2";
@@ -211,7 +210,6 @@ export function createGameRecord(
       duration,
       num_turns,
       winner,
-      winnerType,
     },
     version,
     gitCommit,
diff --git a/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts b/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts
index 5c38a2911..1e244ae9f 100644
--- a/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/GameImpl.ts
@@ -594,8 +594,10 @@ export class GameImpl implements Game {
   setWinner(winner: Player | Team, allPlayersStats: AllPlayersStats): void {
     this.addUpdate({
       type: GameUpdateType.Win,
-      winner: typeof winner === "string" ? winner : winner.smallID(),
-      winnerType: typeof winner === "string" ? "team" : "player",
+      winner:
+        typeof winner === "string"
+          ? ["team", winner]
+          : ["player", winner.smallID()],
       allPlayersStats,
     });
   }
diff --git a/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts b/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts
index 1ccc20013..00b6f9b92 100644
--- a/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/GameUpdates.ts
@@ -178,8 +178,7 @@ export interface WinUpdate {
   type: GameUpdateType.Win;
   allPlayersStats: AllPlayersStats;
   // Player id or team name.
-  winner: number | Team;
-  winnerType: "player" | "team";
+  winner: ["player", number] | ["team", Team];
 }
 
 export interface HashUpdate {
diff --git a/src/server/GameServer.ts b/src/server/GameServer.ts
index 949bd2b68..47a289b7a 100644
--- a/src/server/GameServer.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameServer.ts
@@ -562,8 +562,7 @@ export class GameServer {
         this.turns,
         this._startTime ?? 0,
         Date.now(),
-        this.winner?.winner ?? null,
-        this.winner?.winnerType ?? null,
+        this.winner?.winner,
       ),
     );
   }