The possibilities to engage your Minecraft buddies in a good old death match are limitless, but you have to make the rules and keep score—this is one of the most open of all open-world games, after all.
That will change with a new mini game that Microsoft announced today for the console edition of Minecraft. Called "Battle," it's a simple way to engage your friends or distant strangers in a fight to the death, no setup required. The add-on will arrive in June for free, and Microsoft hints that it has more mini games in the works.
Battle sounds like a quintessential death match: Microsoft describes it as a "competitive multiplayer fight for survival, where speed, strategy—and sometimes just pure luck—will make you the winner."
Weapons consist of resources found in chests that are placed strategically throughout the game's arena. In a unique twist, the action doesn't end once you've been defeated, because you transform into a bat and can watch the remaining players by hovering above the action.
The game can be played by up to four local players using split screen mode, or up to eight players connected online via Xbox Live. The initial arena will be included with the free game; if you want more, Microsoft plans to sell additional "Map Packs" for $2.99.
Mini games are the second major Minecraft announcement this week. On Monday, Microsoft said that it will bring the PC and mobile versions of Minecraft to China, indicating that it is committed to supporting Minecraft on multiple platforms other than Xbox. The console version is already available in China.