How to Disable PvP on Your Minecraft Server

PvP (Player vs Player) combat allows players to damage each other with weapons, bows, potions, and other attacks. Disabling it is ideal for cooperative survival servers, building communities, or family-friendly environments where accidental — or intentional — player kills aren't welcome.

Disabling PvP

What PvP Disabling Does and Doesn't Block

Setting pvp=false prevents direct player-on-player damage from:

• Melee weapons (swords, axes, tridents)
• Ranged attacks (bows, crossbows)
• Splash and lingering potions that deal damage
• Player-created firework rockets

However, players can still harm each other indirectly through:

• Placing lava or fire near other players
• TNT explosions
• Pushing players into hazards (void, cacti, magma blocks)
• Suffocation traps using pistons or blocks
• Triggering environmental damage (flooding, sand/gravel)

📝 Note: For full griefing and PvP protection, consider installing a land-claim or region protection plugin like WorldGuard or GriefPrevention through Plugins. These plugins let you define protected areas where players can't damage each other or break blocks. See our plugin installation guide for details.

Per-Area PvP Control with Plugins

If you want PvP enabled in some areas (like an arena) but disabled everywhere else, the pvp setting in server.properties is too broad — it's all-or-nothing. For zone-based PvP control, use a plugin:

• WorldGuard — Create regions with custom flags including pvp allow or pvp deny
• GriefPrevention — Automatically protects claimed areas from PvP
• CombatLogX — Adds combat tagging and PvP management features

These plugins give you fine-grained control over where PvP is allowed and where it's disabled, which is much more flexible than the global server.properties setting.

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