> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.pvptiers.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.pvptiers.com/casual-duels.md).

# Casual Duels

Casual PvPTiers duels with automatic regional routing for low-latency practice, parties, and player-vs-player challenges.

Casual Duels are PvPTiers' own lightweight way to fight other players outside MCPVP ranked competition.

Use Casual Duels when you want a straightforward practice match, a friendly challenge, a party fight, or a quick PvP session without affecting MCPVP competitive standing.

## Casual vs MCPVP

There are two different duel experiences around PvPTiers:

| Experience                | Purpose                                                                    |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **PvPTiers Casual Duels** | Practice, friendly challenges, party battles, and non-MCPVP casual matches |
| **MCPVP Cloud Queue**     | MCPVP's competitive matchmaking and ranked ecosystem                       |

Casual Duels follow the PvPTiers [Server Rules](/server-rules.md).

MCPVP matches use MCPVP's own competitive rules and systems.

## How Casual Duels work

Casual Duels are designed to make finding a good-quality fight as simple as possible:

1. challenge or match with another player;
2. PvPTiers automatically evaluates the available duel regions;
3. the match is routed to an appropriate server location for the players involved;
4. players are transferred into the duel;
5. the fight is played to completion;
6. players return to normal PvPTiers gameplay.

The focus is on fast access to practice fights without requiring players to manually choose a region every time.

## Parties

Players can create parties and use them for group-based Casual Duels.

Party play supports several formats:

| Party mode            | How it works                                                          |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Party Duel**        | Your party challenges and fights another party                        |
| **Party Team Battle** | Members of the same party are split into teams and fight each other   |
| **Party FFA**         | Party members enter a free-for-all where everyone fights individually |

This makes Casual Duels useful for more than just 1v1 practice. Groups can scrim another party, split into teams for internal battles, or run a private FFA together.

{% hint style="info" %}
Party modes are part of **PvPTiers Casual Duels**. They are separate from MCPVP ranked matchmaking and do not affect MCPVP Tier standing.
{% endhint %}

## Automatic IP routing

PvPTiers Casual Duels use **automatic IP-based regional routing** to optimize match location.

When a duel is created, the routing system automatically selects from the available PvPTiers duel locations with the aim of providing the best practical connection for the players in that match.

This is intended to:

* reduce unnecessary latency;
* avoid routing nearby players through a distant region;
* improve match consistency;
* reduce large ping differences where a better midpoint or nearby location is available;
* make Casual Duels usable across a much wider geographic player base.

{% hint style="info" %}
**You do not need to manually pick a server region for every duel.** PvPTiers handles the region selection automatically using the available network locations.
{% endhint %}

This regional routing is part of **PvPTiers Casual Duels**. It is separate from the MCPVP Cloud Queue system, which uses MCPVP's own competitive matchmaking and match infrastructure.

## Server locations

PvPTiers can route Casual Duels through the following locations.

### Africa

| Region          | Location                        |
| --------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Southern Africa | 🇿🇦 Johannesburg, South Africa |

### North America

| Region     | Location                     |
| ---------- | ---------------------------- |
| US East    | 🇺🇸 Atlanta, Georgia        |
| US East    | 🇺🇸 Miami, Florida          |
| US East    | 🇺🇸 New York, New York      |
| US East    | 🇺🇸 Vint Hill, Virginia     |
| US Central | 🇺🇸 Chicago, Illinois       |
| US Central | 🇺🇸 Dallas, Texas           |
| US Central | 🇺🇸 Denver, Colorado        |
| US Central | 🇺🇸 McAllen, Texas          |
| US West    | 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California |
| US West    | 🇺🇸 Portland, Oregon        |
| US West    | 🇺🇸 San Jose, California    |
| Canada     | 🇨🇦 Montreal, Canada        |
| Mexico     | 🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico     |

### South America

| Region                 | Location                     |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Northern South America | 🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia        |
| Southern South America | 🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Western South America  | 🇵🇪 Lima, Peru              |
| Western South America  | 🇨🇱 Santiago, Chile         |
| Eastern South America  | 🇧🇷 São Paulo, Brazil       |

### Europe

| Region          | Location                    |
| --------------- | --------------------------- |
| Northern Europe | 🇫🇮 Helsinki, Finland      |
| Northern Europe | 🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom |
| Northern Europe | 🇸🇪 Stockholm, Sweden      |
| Western Europe  | 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Central Europe  | 🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary      |
| Central Europe  | 🇩🇪 Frankfurt, Germany     |
| Central Europe  | 🇨🇿 Prague, Czech Republic |
| Central Europe  | 🇵🇱 Warsaw, Poland         |
| Southern Europe | 🇹🇷 Istanbul, Türkiye      |
| Southern Europe | 🇵🇹 Lisbon, Portugal       |
| Southern Europe | 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain          |
| Southern Europe | 🇮🇹 Milan, Italy           |
| Southern Europe | 🇮🇹 Palermo, Italy         |

### Middle East

| Region                | Location                         |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Gulf                  | 🇦🇪 Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Eastern Mediterranean | 🇹🇷 Istanbul, Türkiye           |

### Asia

| Region         | Location                  |
| -------------- | ------------------------- |
| Southern Asia  | 🇵🇰 Karachi, Pakistan    |
| Southern Asia  | 🇮🇳 Mumbai, India        |
| Southeast Asia | 🇵🇭 Manila, Philippines  |
| Southeast Asia | 🇸🇬 Singapore, Singapore |
| Eastern Asia   | 🇯🇵 Tokyo, Japan         |
| Eastern Asia   | 🇹🇼 Taiwan, Taiwan       |

### Oceania

| Region      | Location                   |
| ----------- | -------------------------- |
| New Zealand | 🇳🇿 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Australia   | 🇦🇺 Perth, Australia      |
| Australia   | 🇦🇺 Sydney, Australia     |

{% hint style="info" %}
A listed location does not mean every duel will use that location. The routing system selects an available region appropriate to the players in the match.
{% endhint %}

## Why so many regions?

A single duel server location can create a poor experience when players are spread across different countries or continents.

The larger location pool gives PvPTiers more options when selecting where a fight should run. For example, two players in Europe can be kept within Europe rather than being sent to North America, while players in different parts of North America can be matched through a more suitable central or nearby location.

The objective is not simply to route every player to the geographically closest server individually. The system is intended to choose a location that produces a sensible overall match for **both sides**.

## Progression

Private or direct casual challenges do not receive the same result XP as eligible public MCPVP / queue matches.

Ordinary network online-time XP continues while you are connected.

See [XP & Coins](/xp-and-coins.md) for the full progression rules.

## Rules

Read the **General & Duels** section of the [Server Rules](/server-rules.md).

These rules cover:

* unauthorized modifications;
* macros and autoclickers;
* input-altering software;
* chat and player conduct;
* exploit abuse;
* impersonation and inappropriate usernames or skins.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Casual Duels are a PvPTiers mode. MCPVP Cloud Queue matches are competitive MCPVP matches and use MCPVP's separate competitive rules and systems.
{% endhint %}

## Related pages

[MCPVP Cloud Queue](/mcpvp-cloud-queue.md) · [Server Rules](/server-rules.md) · [XP & Coins](/xp-and-coins.md) · [Support](/support.md)