ArenaRegen: Reset PvP Arenas After Every Match

This guide is for owners of duels, practice, FFA or minigame servers whose arenas get wrecked by players. By the end you will have an arena saved, a command that restores it, an optional timer, and a plan for resetting it after every match without lag.

What ArenaRegen does#

ArenaRegen is a plugin by falcona on SpigotMC, in the World Management category. You select a region, save it as an arena, and the plugin puts the blocks back whenever you tell it to: by command, on a repeating schedule, or from your duels plugin's end-of-match commands. No manual WorldEdit pastes are needed. The Spigot page was showing version 1.7.3, released 28 September 2026, when we checked, and lists tested versions 1.21, 26.1 and 26.2 on Spigot, Paper and compatible forks.

The free edition does not need WorldEdit or FAWE. PlaceholderAPI and Multiverse-Core are optional integrations.

ArenaRegen Free Free plugin that saves PvP arenas and restores them by command, timer or a duels plugin's end-of-match command. On SpigotMC

Install the right jar#

There are two jars, and picking the wrong one is the most common first mistake. The docs say the Modern jar is for Paper 26.2 and needs Java 25 or newer. The Legacy jar is for Spigot or Paper 1.18 to 1.21.x and needs Java 17 or newer. The Spigot page describes the split a little differently (Legacy for 1.18 to 1.20.4, Modern for 1.20.5 and up). So read the download page, then match the jar to your Minecraft and Java versions.

If you are starting from nothing, our Paper server setup guide covers Java, the jar and memory flags first.

Save your first arena#

The root command is /arenaregen, with /ar as an alias. The docs give this basic flow:

/ar wand
(left and right click two opposite corners)
/ar create testduels
(break or place some blocks inside)
/ar regenerate testduels

If the blocks snap back, the arena works. Do this by hand before you connect anything else, so you know any later problem comes from the hook and not the arena.

Commands you will use most#

• /ar list and /ar info <arena> show saved arenas and their status.
• /ar preview <arena> draws the border with particles, handy to check you grabbed the whole map.
• /ar resize <arena> replaces the bounds with a new selection.
• /ar setspawn <arena> sets a spawn point, and /ar teleport <player> <arena> sends someone there.
• /ar here regenerates the arena you are standing in. It takes no arena name.
• /ar regenerate <arena> cancel stops a running regen, and /ar unlock [arena] frees an arena stuck in a locked state.
• /ar reload reloads the config, and /ar reloadarenas reloads arena block files without a restart.

Reset an arena on a timer#

For an FFA map that should refresh every so often, use /ar schedule <arena> [time]. The time is a number plus a unit: s for seconds, m for minutes, d for days or w for weeks. For example /ar schedule testduels 30m restores the arena every 30 minutes. Running the command without a time clears the schedule. The free edition has no hours unit, so use 60m for an hour.

If you are building an FFA mode, see our FFA server setup guide for arenas, kits and plugins around the reset.

Reset after every duel or match#

ArenaRegen does not hook duels plugins by itself. Instead, you add /ar regenerate <arena> to the commands your duels or minigame plugin runs when a match ends. Look in that plugin's config for a section called something like end commands, end commands console or arena commands. The exact key depends on the plugin, and the ArenaRegen docs name Duels and StrikePractice as examples without giving keys, so check your plugin's own docs.

1. Make sure the arena name in ArenaRegen matches the one you will put in the command.
2. Add the regenerate command to the end-of-match commands, run as console.
3. Play a short test match, break some blocks, and watch the arena restore.

Minecraft ArenaRegen Plugin Overview Falcona

Keep resets from causing lag#

Regeneration spreads block placement over several ticks, and the speed is a setting. The docs list these presets:

The docs warn that higher speeds may lag depending on your server and arena. The FAQ adds that FAST can place up to 40,000 blocks in one tick, so if the server freezes during a regen, lower regen.regen-speed. You can also set a custom speed (default 10,000 blocks per second) with the custom speed option. Change it in the plugin's config, then run /ar reload.

On Paper the plugin has an automatic TPS throttle below 18 TPS, but it only reacts after TPS has already dropped. Treat it as a safety net, not a plan. If you are chasing lag in general, our Chunky and spark guide shows how to find the real cause.

Decide what happens to players inside#

The player handling settings control what happens to people standing in an arena when it regenerates:

• cancel-regen (default false) cancels the regen if someone is inside.
• kill (default false) kills players inside.
• execute-commands (default false) runs your list of commands.
• teleport (default true) moves them out, to teleport-location: WORLD_SPAWN, ARENA_SPAWN or fixed coordinates.

Other defaults worth knowing: lock-arenas is true, so nobody can enter while it regenerates, and block placing and breaking during a regen are both blocked. track-entities is true, which removes tracked entities on regen. Set /ar setspawn and choose ARENA_SPAWN if you want players sent back into the arena area rather than to the world spawn.

Show arena status with placeholders#

With PlaceholderAPI installed you can show status on scoreboards or holograms. Useful ones are %arenaregen_status% (Regenerating, Locked or Available) and %arenaregen_nextregen%. To target a specific arena use %arenaregen_<name>_<arena>%. Run /papi reload after updating the plugin.

Control who can use it#

Every command has a permission prefixed arenaregen., such as arenaregen.create, arenaregen.select (wand and selection) and arenaregen.regenerate (which also covers /ar here, cancel and schedules). Give builders select and create, and keep reload for admins. Our LuckPerms ranks guide shows how to hand these out by group.

Free edition limits and ArenaRegen+#

The free edition is enough for a small practice or minigame server, but know its edges before you build around it.

The Spigot page also mentions a regen-only-modified mode, but the docs list change tracking under ArenaRegen+, so check what your own config does before relying on it. The docs and Spigot page are the places to confirm the current details. The plugin's documentation is at falcona.gitbook.io/arenaregenSource site.

Other arena reset plugins worth a look#

ArenaRegen is not the only way to do this. All three below are free and listed on Modrinth for 1.21.x servers.

RegenerateX#

Built for practice PvP servers on Paper and Purpur. It has wand setup, unlimited arenas, a player voting system with menus, reset timers with countdowns, async processing, PlaceholderAPI and LuckPerms integration, and works with FAWE. Its licence is All Rights Reserved.

RegenerateX Free Free arena regeneration plugin for Paper and Purpur 1.21.x with player voting menus, reset timers and FAWE support. On Modrinth

ConicArenas#

An MIT-licensed plugin that resets after each match or round using schematics or block regeneration. It offers barrier or particle borders, four reset speed tiers and automatic clearing of drops and entities.

ConicArenas Free Free arena reset plugin with schematic or block regeneration, borders and four reset speed tiers for 1.21.x servers. On Modrinth

ArenaRegenerator#

Open source (GPL-3.0) and needs WorldEdit or FastAsyncWorldEdit (not both). It regenerates saved selections and adds a small minigame layer with lobby, countdowns, spectator mode and join, leave and regen signs.

ArenaRegenerator Free Free, open source plugin that regenerates WorldEdit-saved arenas and adds a small minigame layer with signs and spectators. On Modrinth

If your arenas are loot-heavy, or you run Duels Optimized, check what the plugin you pair with already offers before adding a reset plugin.

Fix common problems#

• The arena shows [DEFERRED]. Its world is not loaded yet. ArenaRegen loads the data when the world loads, or you can run /ar reloadarenas.
• /ar here testduels fails. /ar here takes no name. Stand inside the arena and run it alone.
• A ninth arena will not save. The free edition stops at 8. Delete one with /ar delete and /ar confirm, or move to ArenaRegen+.
• An arena stays locked. Run /ar unlock <arena>.
• The server freezes during a regen. Lower the regen speed, as above.

Keep players out of an arena while it is not in use? Our WorldGuard guide covers regions and flags for arenas.