Quote Originally Posted by alimdia View Post
If the early puller got past the portal in time what was preventing whoever got locked out from getting there in time as well? They both have to travel exactly the same distance to reach the next boss, and the portal doesn't close until 15 seconds after battle begins.

The people who get locked out of battles in game usually stay daydreaming after a boss fight ends, likely daydreaming mid battle as well, so your problem is solved as easily as not watching netflix/crunchyroll while doing content.
Unexpected things irl can happen too. Doorbells, someone hollering for something, kids if a person has them. Someone's stretch of free time to play a game might not always be 100% perfect.