How to Run a Mindustry PvP Server (Maps, Teams and Rules)

To run a Mindustry PvP server, start a map with more than one team core in pvp mode from the server console: host Veins pvp. The built in PvP maps are Veins, Glacier and Passage, and any custom map with at least two team cores works too. Players are put on the team with the fewest players when they join, the match ends when only one team has a core left, and the server then loads the next PvP map on its own. Use rules add for global tweaks and shuffle or nextmap to control the rotation.

PvP is where Mindustry's factory building turns competitive: two teams racing to scale production and push units into each other's cores.

What pvp mode changes

Hosting a map in pvp mode applies a preset on top of the map's own rules:

• PvP is on, and the goal is to destroy the enemy cores.
• Enemy cores have a large no build radius around them, so nobody can drop turrets on top of an enemy core at the start.
• Building and unit costs are at normal speed, with faster unit production.
• Waiting for players is on: the match can pause while it waits for enough players.

Maps decide everything else: resources, layout, and how many teams have a core.

Step 1: Pick a map

PvP needs a map with cores for at least two teams. List what the server has:

maps all

Plain maps only shows custom maps; all includes the built in ones. Map names with spaces are written with underscores in commands.

The built in maps that the game flags for PvP are Veins, Glacier and Passage. Other built in maps are for survival and attack, and the server will not shuffle them into a PvP rotation.

Step 2: Host in pvp mode

If the server is already running a game, stop it first:

stop
host Veins pvp

The format is host <mapname> <mode>, and the modes are survival, attack, pvp and sandbox. Without a mode, host defaults to survival, which is why a fresh server starts in survival even on a PvP map.

When a match ends with one team left, the server picks the next map in the same mode, so you only set pvp once per session.

How teams are assigned

When a player joins a PvP game, the server places them on the active team with a core and the fewest players, picking at random between tied teams. That keeps sides even without anyone choosing. Teams are colored, and players can talk privately to their own team with:

/t push left lane after the next wave of daggers

Normal chat goes to everyone, so /t is how teams plan without the other side reading it.

Step 3: Custom PvP maps

Most active PvP servers run community maps. To add one:

1. Get the .msav map file. Many are shared in the community; you can also make your own in the game's map editor by placing cores for two or more teams.
2. Upload it to the server's config/maps folder.
3. Run reloadmaps in the console, then maps to see it.
4. Start it with host Map_Name pvp.

Any custom map with cores for more than one team is valid for PvP. If you get "No map with name found", check the exact name in the maps list, with underscores for spaces.

Step 4: Control the rotation

After each match, the server picks the next map using the shuffle mode:

shuffle custom
shuffle builtin
shuffle all
shuffle none
nextmap Glacier

shuffle custom rotates only your uploaded maps, builtin only the stock ones, all both, and none keeps the same map. nextmap sets the next map once, overriding the shuffle. For a server with a curated set of PvP maps, upload them and use shuffle custom.

Step 5: Global rules

rules add <name> <value> sets rules that apply to every map, saved to the server's rules file:

rules
rules add unitBuildSpeedMultiplier 1.5
rules add buildSpeedMultiplier 2
rules remove buildSpeedMultiplier

rules on its own lists what you have set. Rule names are the game's internal rule fields; typing a wrong name gives a parse error rather than silently doing nothing. Change one thing at a time and play a match before changing more, since PvP balance is easy to break.

Step 6: Moderation for a competitive server

Competitive servers attract griefers and team switchers. The tools:

admin add PlayerName
kick PlayerName
ban name PlayerName
bans
unban 203.0.113.10
config enableVotekick true
config motd Welcome to PvP. Use /t for team chat.

Admins can kick and ban from in game, and players can use /votekick with a reason. config motd sets the welcome message. For a private league, config whitelist true plus whitelist add <ID> locks the server to your players.

Keeping matches fair

• Match the team count to the player count. A three team map with four players is lopsided.
• Use gameover to end a match that has stalled, and runwave only on maps that use waves.
• Save before experiments. save 1 and load 1 let you restore a match if a rule change goes wrong.
• Watch performance. Late PvP games with huge unit armies on both sides are the heaviest thing a Mindustry server does. If the server struggles at the end of matches, give it more memory or use smaller maps.

Running PvP on a GamezServers server

On a Mindustry server with us, the live console in the control panel runs every command above, and config/maps is in the file manager for custom PvP maps. The panel's Map Name setting is passed to host when the server starts, so a value of Veins pvp starts straight into PvP after every restart instead of survival. Plugins for votes, stats or team balancing go in config/mods. Desktop and mobile players can share the server when their builds match; if someone gets kicked as outdated, see the Mindustry outdated client fix. Basic setup is in how to host a Mindustry server.

FAQ

Which Mindustry maps support PvP?

The built in PvP maps are Veins, Glacier and Passage. Any custom map with cores for at least two teams also works in pvp mode.

How do I start a PvP game on a Mindustry server?

Type stop if a game is running, then host Veins pvp in the server console, with any PvP capable map name.

How are teams chosen in Mindustry PvP?

The server puts each joining player on the team with the fewest players.

How do I talk only to my team in Mindustry?

Type /t followed by your message. Only your teammates see it.