In borders
by emretmekvar
In borders is a minigame datapack in which a shrinking world border forces players to fight within a shrinking arena, and it is distributed for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt.
What it does
Players start from a fixed setup on a starting platform that cannot be fought on. Once the game begins with a scoreboard command, the match starts after a short period of normal server lag, and the time of day is set automatically. Players spawn at least 100 blocks away from one another, so no one is in reach at the start.
After the start, the borders shrink by 2 blocks per second over a period of 5 minutes. Anyone standing outside the active border begins to take damage, and the further outside they are, the more damage they take. The effect pushes the surviving players toward the center until one remains. The datapack requires operator access to start a match.
The server must run the mod, while players may join without installing it. Files are published for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, and the latest build targets 2+mod for 26.2, released 2026-10-05. The first release came out on 2026-09-30, and the project is licensed under All rights reserved, so it is not open source.
Key features
Shrinking border arena
The world border contracts at a steady rate, narrowing the area where players can survive.
Damage outside the border
Players outside the active border take damage, and deeper positions outside it take more.
Protected starting platform
Players cannot fight on the starting platform, so matches open with everyone at a fixed point.
One-command start
A scoreboard command starts the match, and the datapack sets the day automatically.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.21.x6 of 6 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Who it’s for: Server owners who run battle minigames and operators who want a ready-made shrinking arena without writing their own border logic. The datapack is aimed at small groups of players fighting until one is left.
How it compares
Custom World Border is MIT licensed and published for 1.21 – 1.21.4, so it covers an older range than In borders. Level = Border is a Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt mod for 1.19.2 – 26.3 under a custom license, and it is not open source. Expansion of Border is MIT licensed and covers 1.20.2 – 26.3, but it grows the border rather than shrinking it.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In borders | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.21.6 – 26.3 | Server required, client optional | 2026-10-05 |
| Custom World Border | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.21 – 1.21.4 | Server required, client optional | 2025-04-15 |
| Level = Border | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.19.2 – 26.3 | Not published | 2026-06-16 |
| Expansion of Border | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20.2 – 26.3 | Server required, client optional | 2025-09-26 |
Questions
Does In borders need a server install?
Which loaders does In borders support?
Who can start a match?
In the catalog
In borders is one of 2,135 Minigame mods on ModsFinder, and one of 1,454 Minigame mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from emretmekvar
Similar mods
What the author says
there will be regular updates and you can contact me at [email protected] and maybe I can update the datapack to your version. Or, if the version you play has bugs, you can contact me and I will do a bugfix!
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/in-borders
- Owner
- emretmekvar
- Published
- 2026-09-30
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-10-05
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15