[Participating in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge]

Whenever someone asks what games I play regularly, a few always make the list. A surprising number of them are PvP games like World of Warships and Cyphers. Even as my main games change, I tend to keep my PvP games installed, ready to play whenever I feel like it.

Of course, I sometimes switch to a different PvP game when one catches my interest, but otherwise, these are the games I keep coming back to. In this post, I want to explore why that is: “Why don’t PvP games get old?”

Frustration and Growth Through Repetition

In PvP games, the smallest margin often decides whether you win or lose. Those close matches always seem to stir that competitive instinct: “Next time, I’m definitely going to win!”

That feeling naturally leads to more practice and more attempts. As you keep playing, you eventually realize how much your skills have improved. (Of course, some people never seem to improve, no matter how much they play.)

Most games satisfy this desire to improve and give players a sense of pride in their progress. Still, I find that growth in PvP feels a little different.

The difference is that you recognize your own shortcomings and choose to act on them. I think working through weaknesses you identified yourself and improving through practice gives you not just the usual sense of progress, but a sense of accomplishment as well.

Because this process unfolds naturally as you play, I suspect it is one reason PvP games maintain such large fan bases.

Strong Narratives and Fan Bases

I remember attending the Cyphers Festival in 2016. I started playing Cyphers when I entered university, after a classmate told me, “Cyphers is so much fun!” Somewhere along the way, I became enough of a fan to attend the festival myself.

I enjoyed the elaborate stage and the crowds, but what stood out most was watching people who could recite the Cyphers characters’ backstories by heart take part in a quiz show.

Cyphers had already been running for quite some time, and seeing how thoroughly people knew its lore reminded me just how important a game’s narrative can be.

Teams with Good Manners Have Higher Win Rates

Part of what makes team play interesting is how much depends on your teammates. With the right people, everything can click; with people you do not mesh with, the match can start to unravel. Some players throw the game from the outset, but I also often encounter players who want to win and simply lack the skills to match that ambition.

Whenever that happens, I ask, “How much help would you be comfortable with?”

Talent may play a role, but I think skill generally reflects how much someone has played. Some gaps in ability are inevitable. When I encounter players in this situation, my instinct is, "I should help as much as I can and find a way to work together."

In my experience, keeping the atmosphere positive encourages teammates to gradually adapt to one another, often leading to unexpected wins. (Even when we lose, we end on a positive note.)

A win feels more satisfying when everyone has enjoyed the match. When the players who contributed the most also get recognition through the thumbs-up system, that happy ending feels all the more rewarding.

A Meta Reshaped by Balance Patches

Balance patches can bring major changes to PvP games. New characters and balance adjustments are part of that, but even a new map can turn a rarely used character into the top pick for certain situations.

In games where characters’ distinct traits and personalities are woven into the world, these changes can lead to a favorite character suddenly becoming popular, or give someone who plays only one character a chance to shine like a seasoned veteran. Balance patches can genuinely shake things up in this way.

Of course, keeping players satisfied while steering the meta through a natural transition is extremely difficult. Still, I think this ability to make familiar matches feel fresh is another way PvP games can breathe new life into the experience.

These are my personal views, and you may not agree with every point, but I hope you will consider them with an open mind.