diff --git a/src/players/controllers/players.controller.spec.ts b/src/players/controllers/players.controller.spec.ts
index 77457afaa..feff1a328 100644
--- a/src/players/controllers/players.controller.spec.ts
+++ b/src/players/controllers/players.controller.spec.ts
@@ -152,17 +152,12 @@ describe('Players Controller', () => {
       expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('FAKE_ID');
       expect(ret).toEqual(playersService.player as any);
     });
-
-    it('should return 404', async () => {
-      jest.spyOn(playersService, 'getById').mockResolvedValue(null);
-      await expect(controller.getPlayer('FAKE_ID')).rejects.toThrow(NotFoundException);
-    });
   });
 
   describe('#forceCreatePlayer()', () => {
     it('should call the service', async () => {
       const spy = jest.spyOn(playersService, 'forceCreatePlayer');
-      await controller.forceCreatePlayer({ id: 'FAKE_PLAYER_ID', name: 'FAKE_PLAYER_NAME', steamId: 'FAKE_PLAYER_STEAM_ID' } as Player);
+      await controller.forceCreatePlayer({ name: 'FAKE_PLAYER_NAME', steamId: 'FAKE_PLAYER_STEAM_ID' });
       expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ name: 'FAKE_PLAYER_NAME', steamId: 'FAKE_PLAYER_STEAM_ID' }));
     });
   });
diff --git a/src/players/controllers/players.controller.ts b/src/players/controllers/players.controller.ts
index 90d2389cb..b9e2659c8 100644
--- a/src/players/controllers/players.controller.ts
+++ b/src/players/controllers/players.controller.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { User } from '@/auth/decorators/user.decorator';
 import { Tf2ClassName } from '@/shared/models/tf2-class-name';
 import { DocumentNotFoundFilter } from '@/shared/filters/document-not-found.filter';
 import { PlayerStats } from '../dto/player-stats';
+import { ForceCreatePlayer } from '../dto/force-create-player';
 
 @Controller('players')
 @UseInterceptors(CacheInterceptor)
@@ -34,19 +35,14 @@ export class PlayersController {
   @UseInterceptors(ClassSerializerInterceptor)
   @UseFilters(DocumentNotFoundFilter)
   async getPlayer(@Param('id', ObjectIdValidationPipe) playerId: string) {
-    const player = await this.playersService.getById(playerId);
-    if (player) {
-      return player;
-    } else {
-      throw new NotFoundException();
-    }
+    return this.playersService.getById(playerId);
   }
 
   @Post()
   @Auth('admin', 'super-user')
   @UsePipes(ValidationPipe)
   @UseInterceptors(ClassSerializerInterceptor)
-  async forceCreatePlayer(@Body() player: Player) {
+  async forceCreatePlayer(@Body() player: ForceCreatePlayer) {
     return await this.playersService.forceCreatePlayer(player);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/players/dto/force-create-player.ts b/src/players/dto/force-create-player.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0b53cbd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/players/dto/force-create-player.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { IsString, Matches } from 'class-validator';
+
+export class ForceCreatePlayer {
+
+  @IsString()
+  name: string;
+
+  @Matches(/^\d{17}$/)
+  steamId: string;
+
+}
diff --git a/src/players/models/player.ts b/src/players/models/player.ts
index b88ed4bd7..87e739a62 100644
--- a/src/players/models/player.ts
+++ b/src/players/models/player.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { MongooseDocument } from '@/utils/mongoose-document';
 import { prop, index } from '@typegoose/typegoose';
 import { Exclude, Expose, Transform, Type } from 'class-transformer';
-import { IsString, Matches } from 'class-validator';
 import { PlayerAvatar } from './player-avatar';
 import { PlayerRole } from './player-role';
 import { TwitchTvUser } from './twitch-tv-user';
@@ -13,11 +12,9 @@ export class Player extends MongooseDocument {
   @Transform(({ value, obj }) => value ?? obj._id.toString())
   id?: string;
 
-  @IsString()
   @prop({ required: true, unique: true, trim: true })
   name!: string;
 
-  @Matches(/^\d{17}$/)
   @prop({ unique: true })
   steamId?: string; // SteamID64 only
 
diff --git a/src/players/services/players.service.ts b/src/players/services/players.service.ts
index 8a8fc12a1..62cd92d9d 100644
--- a/src/players/services/players.service.ts
+++ b/src/players/services/players.service.ts
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ export class PlayersService implements OnModuleInit {
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-empty
     } catch (error) { }
 
-    const id = (await this.playerModel.create({
+    const { id } = await this.playerModel.create({
       etf2lProfileId: etf2lProfile?.id,
       ...playerData,
-    }))._id;
+    });
     const player = await this.getById(id);
     this.logger.verbose(`created new player (name: ${player.name})`);
     this.events.playerRegisters.next({ player });