--- title: "How to Set Up a Minecraft BedWars Server" description: "Set up a BedWars server on Paper 26.2: Screaming BedWars arena commands, generator tiers, rebuild scope, and why BedWars1058 is no longer viable." url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/minecraft/start-a-bedwars-server/" category: "Minecraft" category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/minecraft/" published: "2026-08-19T10:12:32.217Z" updated: "2026-08-19T10:20:09.179Z" source_format: "markdown" site: "GameServerKings" --- # How to Set Up a Minecraft BedWars Server BedWars is a round-based team game: four teams, four island bases, a bed under each. Break another team's bed and its players stop respawning; break every bed and kill everyone left and you win. Resources trickle out of generators on a timer, players spend them at a villager shop, and a match lasts fifteen to thirty minutes before the whole map is rebuilt for the next one. That last part is what makes BedWars different to host. A survival or SkyBlock server is a world that persists. A BedWars server is a **world that has to be identical again in ninety seconds**, forty times a day. Everything below follows from that. > [!IMPORTANT] Every version and every command on this page was read from a primary source on 19 August 2026 > Plugin versions come from Hangar's API, Modrinth's API and `api.spiget.org`. The arena commands come from the plugin's own documentation at `docs.screamingsandals.org`. Nothing here is quoted from another host's guide, several of which still recommend a BedWars plugin whose last release was February 2025. ## What BedWars Is, and How It Differs BedWars is a **minigame**, and that word does real work. The other gametypes in this cluster — SkyBlock, Prison, Factions, SMP — are persistent worlds where a player's progress accumulates. BedWars has no persistence inside a match at all; every round starts from an identical state. The consequences for you as an operator: - **You are hosting arenas, not a world.** Your content is a set of maps and a shop configuration. Balance work happens in a YAML file, not in-world. - **Players arrive and leave constantly.** BedWars players play three rounds and log off. Retention comes from queue times, not from a base they are attached to. - **A single arena serves one match at a time.** Concurrency comes from having several arenas, which means several loaded worlds. This is the main thing that drives your resource requirements. - **You need a critical mass of concurrent players.** A 4×4 arena needs sixteen people to start a full game. BedWars is, with Factions, the hardest gametype to launch cold. If you want something a group of five friends can enjoy tonight, [a survival multiplayer server](/knowledge-base/minecraft/start-an-smp-server/) is a far better fit. BedWars rewards a server that can fill a lobby. ## Server Software: Paper Every plugin here is Bukkit-family, so BedWars means **Paper** (or Purpur, a drop-in Paper fork). Not Fabric, Forge or NeoForge — see [choosing your Minecraft server software](/knowledge-base/minecraft/choosing-server-software/) for why a Bukkit plugin will never load on a mod loader. Checked live against PaperMC's Fill v3 API on 19 August 2026: **Paper 26.2 has support status `SUPPORTED` and a declared Java minimum of 25.** Folia is a bad fit. Folia parallelises non-adjacent regions, and a BedWars match is by design a small map where everyone converges on the middle. ## The BedWars Plugin: There Is One Sensible Answer | Plugin | Latest release | Released | Declares 26.2 | Cost | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Screaming BedWars** | 0.2.44 | 2026-06-19 | **Yes** | Free (LGPL-3.0) | | Marcely's Bedwars (MBedwars) | rolling | 2026-07-13 | **Yes** | Paid — EUR 19.99 | | BedWars1058 | 25.2 | **2025-02-09** | No — stops at 1.20 | Free | | BedwarsRel | — | 2017-07-04 | No | Free | ### Screaming BedWars 0.2.44 The default answer, and it is not close. Published to Hangar and to SpigotMC (resource 63714) on **19 June 2026**, with the release titled *"0.2.44 - 26.2 support"*. Hangar's platform list for that build runs from 1.8.8 through 26.2. The source is at `ScreamingSandals/BedWars` on GitHub under LGPL-3.0, last pushed 4 August 2026. Its own documentation is refreshingly precise about where it stands: > *"Supported versions: [1.8.8 - 26.2], recommended versions: [26.1.2]."* That distinction is worth taking seriously. The plugin declares 26.2 and the author supports it; the author also tells you which version they would rather you ran. If nothing else on your server forces 26.2, running **26.1.2** is the configuration the plugin's own maintainers recommend — and it happens to also be the version where EssentialsX and CoreProtect still work (see the caution below). The plugin is not BedWars-only. Its Hangar description reads *"BedWars/EggWars/AnchorWars/CakeWars minigame compatible with all versions since 1.8.8"* — the game mode is determined by which **target block** you assign to each team, and its docs note that most vanilla blocks work except container-like blocks and complex block entities. One plugin, four gametypes. > [!WARNING] BedWars1058 has not shipped since February 2025 > **BedWars1058 25.2** was released on **9 February 2025** and its SpigotMC record declares support only up to Minecraft **1.20**. Its Hangar project has not been updated since 16 April 2024. It is still the second result for most BedWars searches and it is still recommended by guides written in 2021. It will not run on 26.2, and the popular add-on ecosystem around it — Team Selector, Pop-up Towers, AntiDrop and the rest — is in the same state or worse. > [!NOTE] SBA's metadata contradicts itself > **SBA (Screaming Bedwars Addon)**, the well-known add-on pack, ships version 1.5.20.2 dated 23 April 2026 and its resource title claims *"[1.8.8 - 26.1.2]"* — but the machine-readable `testedVersions` array on the same resource stops at **1.21**, and its most recent *update post* is from 25 June 2024. Three fields on one page telling three different stories is a reason to test it on a staging server before it touches production, not a reason to trust the title. ### Marcely's Bedwars The paid alternative (SpigotMC resource 13622, EUR 19.99), last updated 13 July 2026 with `26.1` and `26.2` in its `testedVersions`. It is a legitimate second option if Screaming BedWars does not suit you. Since Screaming BedWars is free, actively released and covers the same ground, most operators will not need it. ## Arena Setup: What You Are Actually Configuring The arena definition is the whole job. These commands are from Screaming BedWars' own documentation. **Load the map world first.** The docs are explicit that the plugin does not create the world: *"This guide assumes you already have a world with your BedWars map. You should load it using a plugin like Multiverse or SlimeWorldManager, and you should already be inside that world."* **Multiverse-Core 5.8.0** (14 August 2026) declares 26.2 and is the standard choice — see [Multiverse: running several worlds on one Minecraft server](/knowledge-base/minecraft/multiverse-multiple-worlds/). Then, standing in that world: ``` /bw admin add /bw admin pos1 # one corner of the arena box /bw admin pos2 # the diagonally opposite corner ``` `pos1` and `pos2` define a box around the arena — the docs compare it to a WorldEdit selection, and **that box is exactly what gets rebuilt between matches.** Draw it too small and blocks players placed outside it survive into the next round. Draw it around the entire world and every rebuild is far more work than it needs to be. Then teams, spawns and beds: ``` /bw admin team add # e.g. team add Red RED 2 /bw admin team spawn # stand and face where players should look /bw admin team bed # look at the pillow end of the bed ``` Fifteen team colours are available. **At least two teams are required for an arena to work** — the docs flag this explicitly. Then generators, shops and the lobby: ``` /bw admin spawner add # true = show a hologram /bw admin store add [name] [shopfile.yml] /bw admin lobby /bw admin spec /bw admin save ``` `bronze`, `iron` and `gold` are supported out of the box; **diamond and emerald generators have to be defined manually in the config file first.** That surprises people — the classic BedWars mid-map diamond generator is not a default. Join signs are `[BedWars]` or `[BWGame]` on line 1 and the arena name on line 2; `leave` instead of an arena name makes a leave sign. ## The Config Decisions That Decide the Game ### The rebuild box, and what counts as breakable Between matches, the plugin restores every block inside the `pos1`/`pos2` box. Screaming BedWars lists *"Arena rebuilding (incredibly quick)"* and *"Breakable blocks (refreshed after arena rebuild) / ignored blocks"* among its features — meaning you maintain two lists: - **Breakable blocks** — what players are allowed to destroy during a match. Classic BedWars allows wool, wood, clay and glass but not the map's terrain, so the island shape survives even a long game. - **Ignored blocks** — what the rebuild skips. Getting the breakable list right is most of the game design. Allow everything and players tunnel through the islands and the match becomes unrecognisable. Allow nothing but wool and bridging is the only offence available. > [!TIP] Rebuild scope is your main performance lever > The rebuild happens between rounds, when nobody is playing, so a slow one costs queue time rather than TPS. But a box drawn around a whole 3,000-block world will still take long enough to notice. Draw the box to the playable area plus a margin for bridges, and no further. ### Generator tiers and timings The resource curve is the entire pace of the match. Three dials: 1. **Base generator rate** — how fast iron and gold appear at each team's island. This sets how quickly a team can arm itself. 2. **Mid-map generator rate and tier-up schedule** — diamonds and emeralds at the contested points, usually upgrading in tiers on a timer. This is what forces teams to leave their base. 3. **Shop prices** — the exchange rate between the two. The failure mode at both extremes is the same: nobody attacks. Generous base generators mean teams can defend indefinitely without going out; stingy mid-map generators mean there is nothing worth going out *for*. Match length is the symptom to watch — if your average round runs over forty minutes, the resource curve is too flat. ### Target blocks: BedWars, EggWars, CakeWars Because the target block is configurable, one plugin gives you four gametypes. A bed is the classic. A **dragon egg** is much harder to protect and produces faster, more aggressive rounds. A **cake** can be eaten in stages, so destroying it is gradual rather than instant. A **respawn anchor** behaves differently again. The docs note that container-like blocks and complex block entities are excluded. Running two or three variants on the same server is cheap — it is more arenas, not more plugins — and it is the simplest way to keep a small player base engaged. ### Team size and arena count A 4×2 arena (four teams of two) needs eight players; a 4×4 needs sixteen. **Start smaller than you think.** An empty 4×4 arena that never fills is worse than a 4×2 that starts every ten minutes. Add larger formats as concurrency grows. Arena count then follows from concurrency: enough arenas that a queue never has to wait for a match to end, and no more, because every arena is a loaded world. ## The Supporting Stack All versions read 19 August 2026. | Role | Plugin | Version | 26.2 status | |---|---|---|---| | The game | **Screaming BedWars** | 0.2.44 (2026-06-19) | Declares 26.2 | | Arena worlds | **Multiverse-Core** | 5.8.0 (2026-08-14) | Declares 26.2 | | Per-world inventories | **Multiverse-Inventories** | 5.3.5 (2026-07-07) | Declares 26.2; requires Multiverse-Core | | Void lobby world | **VoidWorldGenerator** | 1.3.13 (2026-08-03) | Declares 26.2 (Hangar) | | Permissions | **LuckPerms** | v5.5.71-bukkit (2026-08-06) | Declares 26.2 — see [LuckPerms](/knowledge-base/minecraft/luckperms-permissions/) | | Placeholders | **PlaceholderAPI** | 2.12.3 (2026-07-03) | Declares 26.2 | | Tab list / scoreboard | **TAB** | 6.1.2 (2026-08-09) | Declares 26.2 (SpigotMC 57806) | | Holograms | **DecentHolograms** | 2.10.1 (2026-06-28) | Declares 26.2 | | Economy bridge (rewards) | **VaultUnlocked** | 2.20.2 (2026-06-22) | Declares 26.2 | | Map building | **WorldEdit** / **FastAsyncWorldEdit** | 7.4.5 / 2.15.4 | Both declare 26.2 — see [WorldEdit](/knowledge-base/minecraft/worldedit-and-schematics/) | | Lobby protection | **WorldGuard** | 7.0.18 (2026-07-31) | Declares 26.2; requires WorldEdit | | General commands | **Server Essentials** | 2.6.0 (2026-08-15) | Declares 26.2 | Screaming BedWars lists *"Vault rewards and reward commands"* among its features, which is why a Vault-compatible provider is in the table. > [!CAUTION] EssentialsX and CoreProtect have no 26.2 build as of 19 August 2026 > **EssentialsX 2.22.0** (31 May 2026) declares up to **26.1.2** — the same ceiling on Modrinth, Hangar and SpigotMC. **CoreProtect 24.0** (7 July 2026) stops at **26.1.2** on both Modrinth and Hangar. On a BedWars server this matters less than anywhere else, since the arenas rebuild themselves and there is nothing persistent to roll back — but if you want either of them, that is a second argument for running **26.1.2**, which is also the version Screaming BedWars' own documentation recommends. **Server Essentials 2.6.0** declares 26.2 if you need a command suite on 26.2 today. ### The Vault name trap **Vault's own last release is 1.7.3 from 17 July 2020, declaring support only to Minecraft 1.17.** VaultUnlocked 2.20.2 is the maintained fork — it self-describes as *"a modern drop-in Vault fork"* — and declares 26.2. But plugins name their dependencies literally: ChestShop's 26.2-capable build declares `Vault` required, and LiteEco declares both `Vault` and `VaultUnlocked` required. Check what each plugin's metadata names before removing the old jar. ## Permissions BedWars needs a smaller permission tree than most gametypes, but two things must be locked down: - **`/bw admin` must be staff-only.** Anyone with it can edit or delete a live arena. - **Spectator and party commands** need to be available to everyone, or players cannot rejoin their friends. Build the ladder in LuckPerms — [managing permissions with LuckPerms](/knowledge-base/minecraft/luckperms-permissions/) covers groups, inheritance and weights. The BedWars-specific piece is that **cosmetic and queue-priority perks are permission nodes**, so your donor tiers live here, not in the plugin's config. ## Realistic Resource Expectations BedWars has an unusual profile: **many small loaded worlds, each with few players, plus a lobby that holds everyone**. - **Every configured arena is a loaded world.** Ten arenas is ten worlds resident in memory. This, not player count, is what drives your allocation. - **Per-arena load is low.** Sixteen players on a small map generate far less work than sixteen players exploring a survival world. There is almost no chunk generation once the maps exist. - **Rebuilds are bursty but off-peak.** They happen between rounds, so they cost queue time rather than in-match TPS. - **The lobby is a single point of concentration.** Everyone waiting is in one place — one region, one tick thread's worth of entity tracking. The practical guidance: size for **arena count**, not player count, and pre-build every map so no arena world is ever generating terrain during play. Use the heap bands in [Minecraft server RAM and JVM flags](/knowledge-base/minecraft/allocating-ram-and-jvm-flags/) and add for each additional resident arena world. > [!IMPORTANT] On a GameServerKings server the heap follows the plan automatically > Our Minecraft servers launch with `-Xms128M -XX:MaxRAMPercentage=95.0` and **no `-Xmx`**. There is no `MEMORY` variable on the Startup tab — the heap ceiling is 95% of the RAM your plan allocates and moves with it. The lever is the plan, not a flag. [Article 559](/knowledge-base/minecraft/allocating-ram-and-jvm-flags/) has the mechanics and explains what the Extra Flags field can and cannot do. If you outgrow one instance, BedWars is the gametype that most naturally splits across a network — Screaming BedWars lists *"Simple BungeeCord and Velocity integration"* among its features. See [multi-server networks with Velocity](/knowledge-base/minecraft/multi-server-networks-with-velocity/). ## What Was Verified — and What Was Not **Verified**, on 19 August 2026: every version number, release date and declared Minecraft version list here, read from Hangar's API, Modrinth's API and `api.spiget.org`. Every command and every quoted sentence about Screaming BedWars comes from the plugin's own documentation site or its own Hangar/SpigotMC listing. **Not verified**, because it needs a running server: that this stack boots together, or that any particular map rebuilds cleanly. Nothing here was tested end to end. Declared version support is a claim by the author about what they targeted — not a test result — and two plugins can each support 26.2 and still conflict at runtime. **A gap worth naming:** SpigotMC's API exposes no dependency metadata at all. For Marcely's Bedwars, TAB, DecentHolograms and Server Essentials, version support was confirmed but their dependency graphs could not be. Finally, a plugin declaring 26.1.2 will often run on 26.2 anyway, because Paper's plugin API is usually stable across point releases. That is a reasonable expectation rather than a fact, and this page has tried to stay on the fact side of the line. ## Common Issues **The arena will not start.** Fewer than two teams are defined, or the arena was never saved with `/bw admin save`. Both are common. **Blocks players placed survive into the next match.** They were outside the `pos1`/`pos2` box. Redraw it wider. **Terrain gets destroyed during a match.** Your breakable-blocks list is too permissive. Restrict it to wool, wood, clay and glass. **There are no diamond generators.** Only `bronze`, `iron` and `gold` are supported by default; diamond and emerald must be configured in the config file before you can place them. **The shop villager will not appear.** The store was added without a shop file, or the arena is not in edit mode. Re-add with `/bw admin store add ` and save. **Players spawn facing the wrong way.** `team spawn` records the direction you were looking when you ran it. Stand where the player should stand, face where they should face, then run the command. **Everything works on 26.1.2 and breaks on 26.2.** The plugin's own docs recommend 26.1.2. If nothing else forces 26.2, run the recommended version. ## FAQ **Can I run BedWars on Fabric or Forge?** No. Every plugin here is Bukkit-family. See [choosing your server software](/knowledge-base/minecraft/choosing-server-software/). **Do players need to install anything?** No. Everything is server-side and vanilla clients connect normally. **Is BedWars1058 usable on 26.2?** No. Its last release, 25.2, is from 9 February 2025 and declares up to Minecraft 1.20. **Can one plugin do EggWars and CakeWars too?** Yes. Screaming BedWars determines the mode from the target block you assign to each team — bed, dragon egg, cake or respawn anchor. **How many arenas do I need?** Enough that a queue never waits for a match to finish. Start with two or three and add as concurrency grows; each one is a loaded world. **Do I need Multiverse?** In practice yes — the plugin's documentation says it expects the map world to already be loaded by something like Multiverse or SlimeWorldManager. **Can I run BedWars alongside a survival server?** Better as separate backends behind a proxy. See [multi-server networks with Velocity](/knowledge-base/minecraft/multi-server-networks-with-velocity/). ## What to Read Next - [Choosing your Minecraft server software](/knowledge-base/minecraft/choosing-server-software/) for why BedWars means Paper - [How to install plugins for Minecraft Java Edition](/knowledge-base/minecraft/java-plugins/) for getting the jars onto the server - [Multiverse: running several worlds on one server](/knowledge-base/minecraft/multiverse-multiple-worlds/) for loading your arena worlds - [Minecraft WorldEdit: selections, brushes and schematics](/knowledge-base/minecraft/worldedit-and-schematics/) for building and pasting maps - [Managing permissions with LuckPerms](/knowledge-base/minecraft/luckperms-permissions/) for staff nodes and donor perks - [Multi-server networks with Velocity](/knowledge-base/minecraft/multi-server-networks-with-velocity/) for when one instance is not enough - [Minecraft server RAM and JVM flags](/knowledge-base/minecraft/allocating-ram-and-jvm-flags/) for sizing by arena count - [Diagnosing Minecraft server lag](/knowledge-base/minecraft/diagnosing-lag-and-low-tps/) if the lobby is the thing that stutters - [How to make a Minecraft SMP server for friends](/knowledge-base/minecraft/start-an-smp-server/) if your player base is smaller than an arena needs - [Managing your Minecraft server](/knowledge-base/minecraft/performance-and-backups/) for backing up your maps before you edit an arena --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings