diff --git a/cmd/server/games.go b/cmd/server/games.go
index d7b4459..e1c1c8a 100644
--- a/cmd/server/games.go
+++ b/cmd/server/games.go
@@ -381,12 +381,10 @@ func (games Games) CreateEventAssignmentRotation(ctx context.Context, id string,
 func (prev AllKillWords) ShuffleAssignees(killer, victim, word string) AllKillWords {
 	m := prev.withoutAssignees()
 
-	if killerState, ok := prev[killer]; !ok {
+	if _, ok := prev[killer]; !ok {
 	} else if victimState, ok := prev[victim]; !ok {
 	} else {
-		v := m[killer]
-		v.Assignee = victimState.Assignee
-		m[killer] = v
+		m.assign(killer, victimState.Assignee)
 	}
 
 	for !func() bool {
@@ -399,14 +397,20 @@ func (prev AllKillWords) ShuffleAssignees(killer, victim, word string) AllKillWo
 		}
 
 		for k, v := range allKillWords {
-			assignee := pop()
-			if k == assignee || prev[k].Assignee == assignee {
+			if v.Assignee != "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			v.Assignee = pop()
+			if k == v.Assignee || prev[k].Assignee == v.Assignee {
 				return false
 			}
-			v.Assignee = assignee
 			allKillWords[k] = v
 		}
 
+		if len(unassigned) > 0 {
+			panic(unassigned)
+		}
+
 		m = allKillWords
 		return true
 	}() {
@@ -415,6 +419,12 @@ func (prev AllKillWords) ShuffleAssignees(killer, victim, word string) AllKillWo
 	return m
 }
 
+func (m AllKillWords) assign(killer, victim string) {
+	v := m[killer]
+	v.Assignee = victim
+	m[killer] = v
+}
+
 func (m AllKillWords) withoutAssignees() AllKillWords {
 	now := time.Now()
 	result := make(AllKillWords)