Minecraft Adds New PvP Multiplayer Mode

The console versions of Minecraft are set to see some new modes inspired by community activities. The new mode announced by Mojang is a competitive multiplayer mode--known as Battle--where up to eight players use randomly-generated resources to fight each other in a variety of pre-made maps.

Matches start players out in a timed state of invulnerability; they're tasked in this limited amount of time to scour the map and gather as many resources as they can. Once the timer ends, players engage in a free-for-all battle where the last one standing is the winner. Battle supports up to eight players online, but can also be played local split-screen up to four players.

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From a recent hands-on session with Battle, I found matches to be hectic, but thrilling and engaging as my opponents and I desperately scavenged the environment for whatever items we could find to rip each other apart. However, I found it frustrating that there were no options for streamlining inventory management to accommodate the minigame's faster pace.

While the Minecraft community has dabbled in similar user-driven PvP events in the past, Battle will provide players the infrastructure to better organize matches, providing features like matchmaking and adjustable settings, like hunger speed, loot chest placement, and more.

If you enjoy the creation aspect of Minecraft, it's worth noting that the Battle minigame will not contain any building elements on release, nor will it feature anything like the ability to create custom maps. However, Mojang has made it clear that it will be paying attention to community requests for future minigame updates.

Minecraft's Battle mode launches as a free update in June, and includes a total of three maps to play in. Additional map packs are expected to release later down the road for $2.99 each.

For a closer look at Minecraft's Battle minigame, check out the image gallery above.