Although playing Minecraft peacefully with friends can be a good time, plenty of player-made game modes and servers pit gamers against each other in player-versus-player combat.
Though each PvP game mode in Minecraft is a little different, most feature users attacking each other with the intent to kill. There are usually additional objectives to flesh things out and provide a purpose past defeating enemies, though deathmatch modes also exist.
Regardless, Minecraft's community has played certain PvP minigames for almost the entirety of the game's existence, and they remain popular to this day.
Minecraft: Top PvP minigame picks in 2022
5) Minecraft Hunger Games
Minecraft's Hunger Games PvP game mode is one of its oldest and most successful, combining interplayer combat with survival skills. Most maps begin with a starting area filled with loot chests and nearby wilderness for refuge.
Timers tick down to zero, and users must decide whether to dash for the available equipment and immediately begin battle or take their chances surviving in the wilds.
In the beginning, all gamers will have no equipment or food, and they must survive as long as possible. Having combat skills is vital in this game mode. Players must also be capable of surviving in the wilderness, picking their battles and movements carefully to not starve out or be defeated by enemies.
4) Capture the Flag/Fortress Assault
Found in many games outside Minecraft, the world's most popular sandbox game also carries its own version of the popular game mode. For the most part, CTF in this title operates similarly to how it would in others.
Players are divided into multiple teams, usually accompanied by their own fortress or defensive structure. This structure possesses a flag that gamers on opposite teams will need to steal and return home to "capture" the flag and earn a point for their team.
It isn't the most creative game mode Minecraft has ever seen, but Capture the Flag is a timeless game mode that transcends any game it features in, and Minecraft is no different.
3) Minecraft Ultra Hardcore Survival
Providing a battle royale-type experience, Minecraft Ultra Hardcore is a battle to the last player standing. At the outset, gamers will need to gather materials and items as quickly as possible to gain the best possible advantage against their competition.
Most servers begin to close maps into smaller and smaller areas over time, slowly bringing players closer to each other. As resources are spent, and their items and resources dwindle, combat gets more vicious.
The biggest difficulty of this particular game mode is the lack of health regeneration. Outside of consuming designated items such as potions or golden apples, users are stuck with their current health. This makes strategizing and minimizing damage incredibly important.
2) Kit PvP
Unlike many PvP game modes in Minecraft that require resource management, Kit PvP gives players a "kit" of pre-set items and equipment and allows them to hop right into the fray. These servers typically provide different kits tailored to various forms of combat, allowing users to pick a battle style that best suits their battle style.
Many Kit PvP servers facilitate battles in 1v1 duels between gamers, but others open things up somewhat for team-based battles and free-for-alls.
1) Bedwars
A straightforward and enjoyable PvP game mode in Minecraft, Bedwars places players on teams and gives them a set number of beds to protect. Their objective is to destroy the beds of the opposing teams while keeping their own intact.
Team territory is usually divided between multiple islands or partitioned areas, giving users the ability to take time to prepare defenses before opponents approach.
One of the best aspects of Bedwars is its respawn mechanic, leading to gamers coming back into the fight quickly and creating breakneck-speed team-vs-team battles.
Note: This article reflects the author's views.