Disable PvP on a Minecraft Server: Everywhere, Only in Some Areas or Between Teammates

Why pvp=false no longer does anything

Up to 1.21.8, PvP was turned off with the pvp line in server.properties. In 1.21.9 Mojang moved four options from that file to game rules: pvp, spawn_monsters, allow_entering_nether_using_portals and command_blocks_work. Up-to-date servers (on NapNodes, Paper on the latest version) ignore those lines even if they're still written in the file.

That's why almost every guide you find is out of date: they still tell you to change server.properties. The rule is called pvp and it didn't change name in 1.21.11, when the others moved to snake_case (the full list, in the gamerules guide).

If your server runs a version older than 1.21.9 (an old Forge modpack, a 1.8 server for PvP), there pvp=false in server.properties does work, and you have to restart for it to apply.

Turn PvP off on the whole server

In the panel's “Console”, without a slash: gamerule pvp false. From the in-game chat, with a slash and as an operator: /gamerule pvp false. It takes effect straight away, without restarting, and it's saved with the world. To turn it back on, gamerule pvp true.

Watch out on Paper: each world keeps its own rules, and the console only changes the main world's. If you're still hitting each other in the Nether, it needs setting there too: execute in minecraft:the_nether run gamerule pvp false, and the same with minecraft:the_end.

1. Start the server

   Game rules are changed with the server running: they're sent to the world, not written in a file.

2. Open “Settings” → “Game rules”

   In the NapNodes panel, inside your Minecraft server.

3. Untick “Players can attack each other (PvP)”

   It saves by itself and applies at once to the world, the Nether and the End, without commands or restarting.

What the rule stops and what it doesn't

It stops the damage one player does to another: hits by hand or with weapons, arrows, tridents and thrown potions. Monsters still attack, and falling, drowning or burning still hurts.

It doesn't stop traps: a bucket of lava at someone's feet, pushing them into the void with water or pistons or locking them in with monsters still kills, because that damage isn't done by a player. For that you need house rules or land protection that doesn't let people place blocks on someone else's land (how to protect your server from griefers).

Players joining from Bedrock through Geyser follow the same rules as the Java server: you don't need to set anything separately for them.

PvP only in an arena: WorldGuard

If you want peace in the world and an area to fight in, the rule won't do: it's all or nothing. What you do is leave the pvp rule on true and let the WorldGuard plugin forbid it everywhere except the arena. The other way round doesn't work: with the rule on false, Minecraft cuts the damage before WorldGuard can allow it.

WorldGuard has a region that covers the whole world, __global__. Any region you mark inside it overrides it, so you just forbid in __global__ and allow in the arena. How to install it and how to mark a region with the axe is in the WorldGuard guide.

1. Forbid PvP in the whole world

   In the game, /rg flag __global__ pvp deny. From the “Console”, without a slash and naming the world: rg flag __global__ pvp deny -w world.

2. Mark the arena

   With the wooden axe (//wand), the two corners, //expand vert so it reaches from top to bottom and /rg define arena.

3. Allow it inside

   /rg flag arena pvp allow. Inside the arena players can hit each other; once they leave, they can't.

4. Repeat in the Nether and the End

   Regions belong to each world: if you want peace there too, the same flag on their __global__ (in the console, with -w world_nether or the name of that dimension).

Stop teammates from hitting each other

For team minigames or a Manhunt, Minecraft has friendly fire built in, no plugins needed: players on the same team don't hurt each other, but they do hurt other teams. With the pvp rule on true.

More team options (colours, hidden name tags, pushing), in the /team command guide (in Spanish).

1. Create the team

   In the “Console”: team add blue.

2. Add the players

   team join blue Ana Luis (names separated by spaces).

3. Turn off friendly fire

   team modify blue friendlyFire false. They no longer hurt each other; against another team, they do.

Let each player choose

On big survival servers it's common for each player to decide whether they want PvP, with a command like /pvp that turns it on or off just for them. Minecraft doesn't include it: you need a Paper plugin that does it, such as PvPManager. Before installing one, check on its page that it supports your Minecraft version.

It installs like any plugin: in the panel's “Mods & plugins”, or by uploading the .jar to the plugins folder (the plugins guide), and “Restart”. As with WorldGuard, the pvp rule has to stay on true so the plugin can decide.

If they keep hitting each other

Check where: if there's no damage on the surface but there is in the Nether, you changed the rule only in the main world (or use the panel's “Game rules”, which changes it in all three).

Check how you wrote the command: gamerule pvp false, in lower case. With just gamerule pvp the server tells you how it's set right now.

Check the plugins: a PvP, minigame or arena plugin can turn it back on in its own areas or when a match starts. If the rule is on false and there's still damage in one particular place, it's usually one of them.

Check whether it's really damage from a player: lava, falls and monsters aren't stopped by the rule (see above).

Try it on your own server

On NapNodes the Minecraft server is Paper on the latest version and PvP is turned off from “Settings”, without typing commands. If you don't have a server yet, the free one doesn't ask for a card and comes with the same panel; when you want it always on, it moves to a plan and it's still the same server with its world.

Frequently asked questions