Minecraft: 7 Tips For Designing A PvP Arena (2024)

Multiplayer PvP, or player versus player combat, has always been extremely popular in gaming. The fervor surrounding in-game combat even carries over into building games like Minecraft, with multiple famous servers constructing PvP arenas or battle royale maps.

After playing on so many of these maps you may be itching to create your very own PvP arena, whether for your server or because you simply want to watch your friends battle it out for fun. Either way, as these projects are quite the undertaking it is important to plan out the entire build and follow specific steps to ensure your PvP battle arena truly shines.

7 Define The Rules Of Your Arena

Laying Down The Law

Before you start building your PvP arena, we suggest laying down the ground rules of what you actually want to construct. Do you want to create a game mode that is similar to an all-out battle in a coliseum, a smaller one-one-one duel, or a large-scale battle royale?

Furthermore, you should also lay out some ground rules before you start building, like if the contestants are allowed to build and craft their own weapons. Overall, while this stage of the process is simply planning, it is imperative that you lay out this game plan to ensure there is less confusion and complications once you begin construction.

6 Choose Your Theme

Setting The Stage

Perhaps the most important aspect of any PvP arena is the theme of the arena itself, since it essentially affects how the game is played. A large part of determining your theme involves selecting which biome you want to replicate or place your arena in.

For example, do you want to create a snowy tundra filled with glaciers, a lush jungle that contains ancient ruins, or do you simply want to build something akin to a Roman coliseum? While it may seem like extra work to create a specific aesthetic for a battle arena, you will certainly attract more players when you have a fully fleshed out build.

5 Determine Player Count

The More Isn't Always The Merrier

If you have played any amount of online PvP, then you will know that there are player limits to each session. This keeps the battlefield from getting too crowded and keeps the overall gameplay more engaging and manageable.

Also, most Minecraft PvP maps have specific spawn locations that either incentivize an early fight for valuable loot or stop players from eliminating each other right when they spawn. By determining the maximum amount of players, you can designate the spawn locations before you even start to build anything.

4 Construct An Outline

You Got To Start Somewhere

Before you build any large structures, you should create a block outline around the entire circumference of the arena. This will clearly define just how large the actual combat space will be, which is useful for planning aesthetic features and the important areas of your build.

After completing this, you can use the outline to build up the walls of the arena that will keep all of your players in the same area. Alternatively, you can create your PvP arena on an island, with the ocean acting as a natural barrier that prevents any escape attempts.

3 Focus On Function First

Gameplay Over Glitz

Although it may be tempting to build the flashy parts of your arena first, we recommend focusing on the core gameplay mechanics before you move on to aesthetics. For example, designing key choke points and places of interest is much more important than ensuring that every tree in the arena is perfectly manicured.

This allows you to determine the flow of combat and determine that no spawn point has a competitive advantage before you have to build foliage and other structures. If you are struggling to determine which parts of your build should be purely aesthetic, then simply focus on the spawn points of the fighters, then move outwards from there.

2 Keep The Game Balanced

Nobody Likes A Minecraft Mismatch

It is certainly important to ensure that your PvP arena is visually appealing, but there is nothing more frustrating than playing on a map that is not balanced for all players. Specifically, there are some maps where certain players can earn a competitive advantage from their spawn point, or even spend money to have better kits at the start of the battle.

If any of your players feel like their opponents have an unfair competitive advantage against them, they are very likely to get angry with the game and will probably choose to never play again. To ensure that this does not happen, we recommend constantly play testing your PvP arena before it goes live, and you can even recruit your friends to help to make sure that nothing is broken.

1 Consider Using A Plugin

Enhanced PvP

Unlike a Mod, a Plugin can be added to any Minecraft multiplayer server without requiring your players to download anything extra. Specifically, Plugins modify the code of Minecraft itself, allowing you to implement certain gameplay changes and rules that will make your PvP map significantly more successful.

For example, a Plugin can modify how your players will spawn before combat starts, what weapons they can wield, and even if they have the ability to break blocks. While this certainly is not necessary if you are playing with friends, a Plugin allows you to more successfully implement and enforce your rules if you are hosting a public server.

Next: Minecraft: Best Mods To Make The Game Harder