Minecraft's first mini-game released for those who enjoy battering in blocky skulls

Whether you're an undefeated dueller, or a world class shot with a bow and arrow, the new battle mini-game on Minecraft for consoles will be right up your alley. It essentially takes the Hunger Games style of games available on some Minecraft servers and turns it into an official gametype for those with a gamepad. Minecraft Battles is currently rolling out on all supported platforms as a free update today.

You'll need to fight over other players to get kitted out with the best gear available only to then go head-to-head against others within the arena regardless as to how prepared you are. Since this new mini-game is launching on consoles, the team has made it accessible and fast-paced. Should you die, you can respawn as a spectator bat, flying around the arena and witnessing absolute carnage.

Three arenas are included in the update for free while future map packs will be made available for $2.99 each. As aforementioned this is the first of several mini-games that will be released on consoles, so be sure to remain tuned for future announcements.

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Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.