SkyWars
SkyWars drops teams onto separated floating islands, surrounded by nothing but void. Loot chests on your island and a few neighbors give you your starting gear — from there, it's about bridging out, fighting your way through other teams, and surviving as the last team standing. With kit selection, map and loot voting, and a shrinking worldborder pushing the late game together, every round plays out differently depending on what you and your opponents choose.
Goal
Eliminate every other team and be the last one with living players. The round ends the moment only one team remains.
Lobby and voting
Before the round starts, the lobby gives you a Barrel to pick your kit, Leather Horse Armor to join a team, and a Nether Star to vote on the map and loot strength. Loot Voting sets the maximum gear tier available that round: Iron Loot (classic, iron-focused), Diamond Loot (stronger, diamond gear possible), or Netherite Loot (top-tier, Netherite gear possible). If nobody votes, one of the three is picked randomly.
Teams
Depending on the map, you'll play with 4 or 8 teams (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, plus Orange, Aqua, Purple, Magenta on larger maps). Pick one in the lobby or get assigned automatically if you don't — friendly fire is off, so you can't hit or shoot your own teammates.
Kits
Your kit shapes your starting gear and playstyle. Default is free; everything else costs coins.
| Kit | Price | Starting Items | Playstyle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Free | Stone Sword, Pickaxe, Axe, Shovel | Solid no-cost all-rounder. |
| Builder | 600 | Stone Pickaxe, 128 Bricks | Fast bridging to the middle or to opponents. |
| Miner | 600 | Netherite Pickaxe (Efficiency V) | Strong for fast mining and resource farming. |
| Wolf | 2,000 | 16 Bones, 3 Wolf Spawn Eggs | Wolves fight alongside you. |
| Snowman | 2,000 | Stone Shovel, 2 Snow Blocks, Carved Pumpkin | Build a snowman for snowball control. |
| Enderman | 15,000 | 1 Ender Pearl | Aggressive, risky mobility plays. |
| Knocker | 2,000 | Stick with Knockback I | Push opponents off islands. |
| Creeper | 1,800 | Flint and Steel, 8 TNT | Explosive pressure on islands and opponents. |
| Spider | 1,800 | Wooden Sword, 16 Cobwebs | Control opponents with cobwebs. |
| Ghost | 2,500 | Invisibility Potion, 48 White Stained Glass | Sneaky plays and surprise attacks. |
| Witch | 3,000 | Splash Potions of Poison, Regeneration, Blindness | Potion-focused debuffs and sustain. |
| MLG | 1,000 | Water Bucket, Cobweb, 3 Spruce Boats | Rescue and movement for risky maneuvers. |
| Fireball | 15,000 | 1 Fire Charge | Ranged explosive attack. |
| Rescue | 15,000 | 1 Rescue Platform | Mid-air save with a temporary platform. |
| GrapplingHook | 15,000 | Grappling Hook | Mobility kit for closing distance fast. |
| Enchanter | 4,500 | Enchanting Table, Anvil, 16 XP Bottles | Gear up mid-game with enchants. |
Default, Builder, or MLG are easy starting points; Enderman, GrapplingHook, or Fireball suit fast rushes; Builder, Spider, or Rescue favor a more defensive approach; and Knocker, Witch, or Enchanter can hit hard in direct fights.
Loot and chests
Chests fill automatically when the round starts, with regular island chests carrying the basics — blocks, projectiles, food, wood/stone/iron tools and weapons, basic armor, and utility items like buckets, ender pearls, and potions. Middle chests at the map's center fill shortly after and hold the strongest gear: diamonds, obsidian, diamond and Netherite tools and armor, a Totem of Undying, a Trident, an enchanting table and anvil, and other high-value items. Controlling the middle early usually means better gear, but it's also the most contested, riskiest spot on the map.
Special items
- Player compass — points toward the nearest living opponent within 100 blocks and shows the approximate distance.
- Fireball and TNT — explosive offense; damage against players is toned down compared to normal explosions.
- Rescue Platform — usable only mid-air, drops a temporary slime block platform beneath you for a few seconds before disappearing, consumed on use.
- Grappling Hook — throw it to pull yourself toward wherever it lands; 3-second cooldown.
Opening an Enchanting Table automatically places lapis lazuli for you (it can't be taken), and Blaze Rods from special items can't be crafted into Blaze Powder, keeping kit items limited to their intended use.
Deathmatch
After 10 minutes, the worldborder starts shrinking toward the map's center, forcing remaining players together and pushing the round toward an ending.
Rewards
| Action | Reward |
|---|---|
| Joining / death | +5 coins, +10 EXP |
| Kill | +8 coins, +20 EXP |
| Winning the round | Additional coins and EXP |
Statistics
Use /stats <player> to check wins, kills, deaths, and K/D for any player.
Tips
- Loot your starting island fast, then bridge toward the middle or neighboring islands rather than waiting around.
- Use the compass whenever you're struggling to find a fight — it's the fastest way to locate the nearest living opponent.
- Don't rush the middle without a way back; knockback off an island is often more dangerous on SkyWars maps than raw damage.