Player versus Player
Ongoing coverage on Player versus Player.
Latest coverage
Bungie is overhauling Marathon from its original extraction shooter vision
Bungie is significantly overhauling its upcoming shooter Marathon, shifting focus from its original extraction shooter vision to include a permanent PvE mode called Symbiosis. This change, along with a move away from strict seasonal schedules, comes amidst ongoing development pressures and recent layoffs at the studio, including some Marathon developers. Parent company Sony remains supportive of the game's future.
Albion Online makes tweaks to Ancient Lands portals to combat camping in PvP zones
Albion Online has implemented changes to its Ancient Lands portals to address player camping in PvP zones. The update reduces the lock time for small portals and increases entry times for medium and large portals, while also making portals appear on the map at all times. Sandbox Interactive plans further adjustments to portal rarity and spawn rates in the future.
Pokemon Champions dev explains why the game isn’t getting single-player modes
Masaaki Hoshino, director of Pokemon Champions, explained that the game will not be receiving single-player modes because the focus is on its competitive multiplayer experience. He believes adding single-player content would detract from the PvP focus and increase match times, which is counterproductive for a competitive game.
Sea of Thieves promises changes to its cash shop that swing the balance back to earnable cosmetics
Sea of Thieves production director Drew Stevens announced upcoming changes to the game's cash shop, set to begin in October with Season 21. These changes will introduce smaller bundles of high-quality items, more brand collaborations, and cosmetics inspired by Rare's back catalog, while in-game currency cosmetics will see a stronger offering. Additionally, a planned experiment will remove a ship's emissary status upon portal hopping to address PvP player utilization.
Dune Awakening promises it’s not abandoning the PvP playerbase despite its small size
Dune Awakening's creative director Joel Bylos acknowledged that the majority of players (80%) prefer PvE content over PvP. Despite this, the development team still plans to consider and implement more structured PvP elements, particularly after the console release, to support the smaller PvP player base.
PSA: Final Fantasy XIV’s PvP Series 11 ends with patch 7.56 on September 8
Final Fantasy XIV's eleventh Player versus Player series will conclude with the release of Patch 7.56 on September 8th. Players have until this date to earn rewards from the current PvP series, after which their rank will reset with the start of Series 12. Unclaimed rewards may be available from a PvP vendor later.
Gamigo has begun public testing for Trove’s expanded PvP modes with a whopping 35 maps
Gamigo has launched public testing for expanded Player versus Player (PvP) modes in the game Trove, featuring a total of 35 maps. The update, titled 'Trove: Rematch!', introduces a new Battle Mode that includes Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, and Bomber Royale, alongside rebalanced matchmaking and stat scaling.
Fractured Conquest schedules a September 3 playtest after cutting the July one short
Fractured Conquest, a PvP-focused version of Fractured Online, has scheduled a new playtest for September 3rd after its July 23rd test was cut short. The upcoming 24-hour test will focus on core game systems, network stress, updated visuals, and bug fixes, with sign-ups available on the game's website.
Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki has good news for anyone worried about PvP in The Duskbloods: he sucks at it too, and you don't "have to be great at PvP in order to win"
FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that he is not particularly skilled at PvP combat in games, including The Duskbloods. He assured players that a high level of PvP proficiency is not required to win, as the game will offer customization options and companion characters to assist players who prefer a less intense combat experience.
From Pirate Nation’s Ashes: Booty Wars Sets Sail With Brutal PvP Combat
Booty Wars, a new player-versus-player focused game, has been announced by a former community member of Proof of Play following the studio's shutdown. The game will not be a sequel to Pirate Nation and will feature a new NFT collection and gameplay mechanics, distinct from the previous title's infrastructure and tokens. Details regarding the blockchain and further gameplay are expected soon.
WoW Classic players gang up to ban infamous PvP slayer on Twitch, immediately regret it after realizing they no longer…
Players in World of Warcraft Classic attempted to ban a notorious PvP player known as Redridgeguy from Twitch, only to realize this made it harder to track his in-game activities. Redridgeguy was known for killing hundreds of Alliance players daily from inaccessible locations. His Twitch ban has led to increased frustration among players as his movements are now concealed.
Old School RuneScape highlights PvP boot camp and LAN party, talks up its origins and writing
Old School RuneScape is highlighting community events including a PvP Bootcamp and a LAN party streamed event. The game's narrative designer discussed writing and quests, while the creative director shared the origins of the 2007 server that launched the game and its growth through player feedback.
Trove devs contemplate reworking subs, revamping the hub, and revisiting PvP
Gamigo has released an update on the future of Trove, addressing potential changes to the optional Patron subscription system, a revamp of the game's central Hub area for better accessibility, and the possibility of a new season for the Bomber Royale PvP mode. The studio is seeking player feedback on these upcoming developments.
The MOP Up: Elder Scrolls Online’s Whitestrake’s Mayhem PvP event rages
The Whitestrake's Mayhem in-game event has returned to Elder Scrolls Online, offering bonus rewards for player-versus-player activities until August 12th. The article also rounds up other recent MMO news, including Palworld's player count, SMITE 2's upcoming god releases, and cross-promotions between Helldivers 2 and Warhammer 40,000.
World of ClaudeCraft Goes All-In on PvP: v0.35.0 Launches Thornhollow Fields, Its First Ranked 5v5 Battleground
World of ClaudeCraft has launched update v0.35.0, heavily focusing on Player versus Player content with the introduction of Thornhollow Fields, its first ranked 5v5 capture-the-flag battleground. This update also includes a rebuilt item level 31 WARFARE gear tier purchasable with Honor. Previously, the game's PvP system was limited to 1v1 and 2v2 arenas.
Aion 2 details changes for party sizes, activities, and founder’s pack benefits for its global release
NCsoft provided new details for the global release of its MMORPG Aion 2 during its first livestream. Changes include increased party sizes for dungeons and raids, stat normalization for the 10v10 PvP mode, and a PvP toggle flag available at launch. Founder's packs will include 30 days of subscription time, and cosmetics from these packs will not be sold separately.
Black Desert Mobile continues content streamlining by removing instances and rescheduling PvP activities
Black Desert Mobile is continuing its content streamlining efforts by removing several instances and rescheduling PvP activities. Rewards from removed instances have been relocated to other in-game activities, and PvP modes will now feature weekly rotations. Additionally, treasures can now be used across all characters on an account.
Gears of War: E-Day's upcoming weekend beta suddenly gets PvP due to fan demand
The Coalition has announced that Player vs Player (PvP) versus modes will be added to the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day open beta due to fan demand. Initially planned to focus solely on Horde mode, the beta will now include PvP for limited periods starting this weekend. The beta will have two waves, with the first wave for early access players beginning August 6th and the second wave open to all players from August 13th.
Guild Wars 2 recaps WvW beta 2’s ‘healthier spread’ for scoring, plans beta 3 for August 11
ArenaNet provided an update on Guild Wars 2's World vs World (WvW) beta testing, noting that the second beta achieved a 'healthier spread' of scoring points from objective capture and player combat. The studio plans a third beta for August 11th to September 4th, focusing on further adjustments to point values, removing certain scaling multipliers, and reintroducing placement-based rewards.
ARC Raiders improves its matchmaking system to protect carebears from the horrors of PvP slaughter floors
Embark Studios has released Update 1.39 for ARC Raiders, further refining its matchmaking system to better distinguish between self-defense and initiating PvP combat. This update aims to prevent exploits where players were lured into PvP lobbies. The patch also includes additional rewards for the Summer Celebration event and various bug fixes.
