![King of the Ladder | [1.21.11 - 26.2]](https://www.spigotmc.org/data/resource_icons/80/80686.jpg?1785151596){kind=icon}
Minimum Java Version: Java 25
KING OF THE LADDER
King of the Ladder is a competitive Minecraft climbing minigame where players race to the top of a ladder tower, claim the crown, and knock challengers back down.
Players enter an arena built around a ladder and fight their way toward the king plate at the top. Reaching the plate makes a player the king and adds to their score, but holding the position becomes harder as other players climb up and try to take the crown. The goal is to become king as many times as possible while keeping opponents away from the top.
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/ff5302062fc867ff0430fb76f227c05455ae1a8e/68747470733a2f2f696d672e736869656c64732e696f2f646973636f72642f313239313031313232353436373232343134383f6c6162656c3d446973636f7264266c6f676f3d646973636f7264267374796c653d666f722d7468652d6261646765)
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/008c18c12c47d86c8cfefb7a9eabd260bf568f4c/68747470733a2f2f696d672e736869656c64732e696f2f62616467652f446f63756d656e746174696f6e2d57696b692d626c75653f7374796c653d666f722d7468652d6261646765266c6f676f3d676974626f6f6b)
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/37ee17426efc1c63251c129bcce0eb2ab51f8b46/68747470733a2f2f696d672e736869656c64732e696f2f62616467652f4a617661646f63732d4150492d6f72616e67653f7374796c653d666f722d7468652d6261646765266c6f676f3d6f70656e6a646b)
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/ea5f64429fe263a5bb09f0ba1e23d4caaa0f1341/68747470733a2f2f696d672e736869656c64732e696f2f62616467652f536f757263652d4769744875622d626c61636b3f7374796c653d666f722d7468652d6261646765266c6f676f3d676974687562)
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/2056c9d39531c29501a41074e457400422ee69b8/68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f54306a7a684f302e6a706567)
✨ FEATURES ✨
ARENA SETUP GUIDE
Setting up a King of the Ladder arena is intuitive with the in-game GUI editor. Follow these steps:
GAMEPLAY FLOW
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/92a4625c6531722bf45fdf3a63efb54318bb72bf/68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f655653517467622e706e67)
COMMANDS & PERMISSIONS
All commands use the /kotl command.
STATS & LEADERBOARDS
King of the Ladder rewards every successful climb. Track crown claims, kills, deaths, tours played, personal scores for every arena, and each arena's top king, then put the best players on display with live leaderboards.
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/a41748d5aef6782625b490ceeb07e1b0a8c82d70/68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f797738476559562e706e67)
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/5168d43a2fb3768a95f42cc11064129f2403bb1d/68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f39587559636a722e706e67)
PLACEHOLDERS
To use these placeholders, you must have PlaceholderAPI installed on your server.
bStats METRICS
This plugin collects anonymous usage statistics through bStats.
This data, such as player count, server version, and Java version, helps us understand how the plugin is being used and allows us to make better development decisions. No private information is collected.
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/3bdf57b6334076bb765a14b0fe4daf43a65b5da6/68747470733a2f2f6273746174732e6f72672f7369676e6174757265732f62756b6b69742f4b4f544c2e737667)
Enjoying the plugin?
We spend hundreds of hours making King of the Ladder the best competitive climbing experience for your server.
If you like the plugin, please consider leaving a 5-star review!
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far! ❤️
KING OF THE LADDER
King of the Ladder is a competitive Minecraft climbing minigame where players race to the top of a ladder tower, claim the crown, and knock challengers back down.
Players enter an arena built around a ladder and fight their way toward the king plate at the top. Reaching the plate makes a player the king and adds to their score, but holding the position becomes harder as other players climb up and try to take the crown. The goal is to become king as many times as possible while keeping opponents away from the top.
✨ FEATURES ✨
- Classic King of the Ladder Gameplay: Climb, fight, and claim the crown while other players try to knock you away from the top.
- Automatic Arena Detection: Players enter and leave games naturally by walking into or out of a configured Game Area.
- Custom King Plates: Place the crown trigger anywhere inside the arena and choose from multiple pressure plate materials.
- King Cooldowns & Knockback: Control repeated crown claims with configurable cooldowns, action bar feedback, and plate knockback.
- Interactive GUI Setup: Create and manage arenas through visual in-game menus instead of manually editing files.
- Visual Area Selection: Select arena corners with a dedicated tool and preview the complete Game Area with configurable particle outlines.
- Player Preparation: Save and restore inventories while using configurable inventory clearing, potion effect cleanup, and per-arena join game modes.
- Arena Records & Statistics: Track crown claims, kills, deaths, tours played, personal arena scores, and top kings.
- Configurable Rewards: Run console or player commands when players join, quit, become king, kill an opponent, or die, with built-in player, arena, king, target, score, and statistics placeholders.
- Scoreboards & BossBars: Keep players informed with fully configurable live game displays.
- Highly Configurable: Customize messages, sounds, menus, items, chat, cooldowns, scoreboards, boss bars, and gameplay behavior.
- PlaceholderAPI & Leaderboards: Display live player, arena, king, record, and leaderboard data on holograms, scoreboards, or other plugins.
- Flat File & MySQL Storage: Start with simple local storage or scale player data across your network with MySQL.
- Developer API: Hook into game shutdown, arena entry and exit, king changes, and statistic updates through a public event API.
ARENA SETUP GUIDE
Setting up a King of the Ladder arena is intuitive with the in-game GUI editor. Follow these steps:
Spoiler: Click to view Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Create the Arena
Initialize a new arena with a unique ID.
Step 2: Open Setup Menu
Open the visual editor for the arena.
Step 3: Set the End Location
Set the safe fallback location used when a player is removed from the arena, the server reloads, or an unexpected error occurs.
Step 4: Select the Game Area
Use the Game Area selector to mark the two opposite corners of the complete playable area.
Step 5: Set the King Plate
Choose a pressure plate material, receive the setup tool, and place the plate inside the selected Game Area. This plate becomes the crown trigger.
Step 6: Configure Player Settings
Choose how players are prepared when they enter the arena.
Step 7: Register & Play
Click the Firework item to validate, save, register, and enable the arena.
How to Play:
Step 1: Create the Arena
Initialize a new arena with a unique ID.
Code (Text):
/kotl create <arena_id>
Open the visual editor for the arena.
Code (Text):
/kotl edit <arena_id>
Set the safe fallback location used when a player is removed from the arena, the server reloads, or an unexpected error occurs.
Step 4: Select the Game Area
Use the Game Area selector to mark the two opposite corners of the complete playable area.
- Left-click: Set the first corner.
- Right-click: Set and save the second corner.
- Outline Preview: Toggle the particle visualizer to inspect the selected area.
Step 5: Set the King Plate
Choose a pressure plate material, receive the setup tool, and place the plate inside the selected Game Area. This plate becomes the crown trigger.
Step 6: Configure Player Settings
Choose how players are prepared when they enter the arena.
- Join Gamemode: Select Survival, Creative, Adventure, or keep the player's current mode.
- Inventory & Effects: Toggle inventory clearing and potion effect removal.
- Game Displays: Enable or disable the arena scoreboard and boss bar.
- Arena Records: Review or reset the arena's king record when needed.
Step 7: Register & Play
Click the Firework item to validate, save, register, and enable the arena.
How to Play:
- Enter: Walk into the enabled Game Area to join automatically.
- Leave: Walk outside the Game Area to leave, restore your saved inventory, and remove the arena displays.
GAMEPLAY FLOW
- Enter the Arena: Walk into an enabled Game Area and the plugin automatically prepares your player state for the competition.
- Climb the Tower: Race up the ladder structure while keeping your position against every other challenger.
- Fight for Position: Knock opponents away from the route and stop them from reaching the top before you.
- Reach the King Plate: Step on the configured pressure plate to claim the crown and become the arena's current king.
- Earn Your Score: Every successful crown claim increases your total score, tours played, and personal score for that arena.
- Break the Record: Outscore the current record holder to become the arena's top king.
- Challenge Again: After the configurable king cooldown expires, climb back to the plate and fight for another crown.
- Leave Safely: Walk outside the Game Area when you are finished and the plugin restores your saved inventory and removes the arena displays.
COMMANDS & PERMISSIONS
All commands use the /kotl command.
Spoiler: Player Commands (Everyone)
Player Information Commands
No permissions are required for statistics. Help access is enabled for everyone by default.
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/0cd9ec2221ef8b05b8559e066ebb7c42cc42cfe1/68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f357242646e73732e706e67)
No permissions are required for statistics. Help access is enabled for everyone by default.
- /kotl help
Permission: kotl.command.help
Display the available King of the Ladder commands. - /kotl stats [player]
Open the in-game statistics menu for yourself or a cached online or offline player.
Spoiler: Arena Management Commands (Click to View)
Arena Setup & Management
Requires kotl.arena.* for full access.
Requires kotl.arena.* for full access.
- /kotl create <arena_id>
Permission: kotl.arena.create
Create a new arena with the specified unique ID. - /kotl delete <arena_id> [--confirm] [--cancel]
Permission: kotl.arena.delete
Delete an arena after confirming the action. - /kotl edit <arena_id>
Permission: kotl.arena.edit
Open the in-game GUI editor for arena setup and management. - /kotl list
Permission: kotl.arena.list
Display all registered arenas together with their readiness and availability state.
Spoiler: Admin Commands (Click to View)
Main Administration Commands
Requires kotl.admin for full access.
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/9a6306ab78cdd2bc589ee1446c66d1fc4c86c67b/68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f3276417a5133492e706e67)
Requires kotl.admin for full access.
- /kotl reload
Permission: kotl.admin.reload
Stop active games and reload messages, options, items, events, command settings, game displays, and arena outlines. - /kotl stop [arena]
Permission: kotl.admin.stop
Stop your current arena game or a specified active arena game. - /kotl kick <player>
Permission: kotl.admin.kick
Remove a player from an active arena and send them to its end location.
Spoiler: Debug Commands (Advanced Users)
![[IMG]](//proxy.spigotmc.org/8f17fb796ec614121c8f49b26549ca10a7b07820/68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f6f444b67684f592e706e67)
Advanced Troubleshooting
Requires kotl.debug for full access and debug mode must be enabled.
Requires kotl.debug for full access and debug mode must be enabled.
⚠️ Note: Debug commands are intended for testing and troubleshooting.
- /kotl debug component <message>
Permission: kotl.debug.component
Parse and preview a MiniMessage component in-game. - /kotl debug dump
Permission: kotl.debug.dump
Generate and send an event timing report for troubleshooting performance issues.
STATS & LEADERBOARDS
King of the Ladder rewards every successful climb. Track crown claims, kills, deaths, tours played, personal scores for every arena, and each arena's top king, then put the best players on display with live leaderboards.
PLACEHOLDERS
To use these placeholders, you must have PlaceholderAPI installed on your server.
Spoiler: Player Statistics Placeholders
Individual Player Stats
These placeholders display statistics for the player viewing them.
%kotl_name% - Returns the player's name
%kotl_uuid% - Returns the player's unique ID
%kotl_games_played% - Total tours played
%kotl_score% - Total number of crown claims
%kotl_kills% - Total number of kills
%kotl_deaths% - Total number of deaths
%kotl_stat:arena_score:<arena_id>% - Personal score in a specific arena
These placeholders display statistics for the player viewing them.
Code (Text):
%kotl_name% - Returns the player's name
%kotl_uuid% - Returns the player's unique ID
%kotl_games_played% - Total tours played
%kotl_score% - Total number of crown claims
%kotl_kills% - Total number of kills
%kotl_deaths% - Total number of deaths
%kotl_stat:arena_score:<arena_id>% - Personal score in a specific arena
Spoiler: Current Game & Global Placeholders
Live Player and Server Data
Display the player's current arena information or global activity across the server.
Display the player's current arena information or global activity across the server.
Current Player Data
%kotl_is_playing% - Whether the player is inside an arena
%kotl_current_arena% - Current arena ID
%kotl_current_arena_players% - Player count in the current arena
%kotl_current_arena_king% - Current king of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_last_king% - Last king of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_top_king% - Record holder of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_top_king_score% - Record score of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_score% - Player's score in the current arena
Global Server Data
%kotl_arenas_total% - Total registered arenas
%kotl_arenas_ready% - Total ready arenas
%kotl_active_games% - Games with active players
%kotl_active_players% - Players across all active games
Code (Text):
%kotl_is_playing% - Whether the player is inside an arena
%kotl_current_arena% - Current arena ID
%kotl_current_arena_players% - Player count in the current arena
%kotl_current_arena_king% - Current king of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_last_king% - Last king of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_top_king% - Record holder of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_top_king_score% - Record score of the player's arena
%kotl_current_arena_score% - Player's score in the current arena
Code (Text):
%kotl_arenas_total% - Total registered arenas
%kotl_arenas_ready% - Total ready arenas
%kotl_active_games% - Games with active players
%kotl_active_players% - Players across all active games
Spoiler: Arena Status Placeholders
Real-Time Arena Data
Fetch live data from specific arenas. Replace <id> with your arena identifier, for example arena1.
Fetch live data from specific arenas. Replace <id> with your arena identifier, for example arena1.
Live Game Data
%kotl_arena:<id>:players% - Current player count
%kotl_arena:<id>:king% - Current king
%kotl_arena:<id>:last_king% - Last player to claim the crown
%kotl_arena:<id>:top_king% - Arena record holder
%kotl_arena:<id>:top_king_score% - Arena record score
Arena Settings
%kotl_arena:<id>:ready% - Whether the arena setup is complete
%kotl_arena:<id>:enabled% - Whether the arena is available
%kotl_arena:<id>:gamemode% - Configured join game mode
%kotl_arena:<id>:scoreboard_enabled% - Per-arena scoreboard setting
%kotl_arena:<id>:bossbar_enabled% - Per-arena boss bar setting
Code (Text):
%kotl_arena:<id>:players% - Current player count
%kotl_arena:<id>:king% - Current king
%kotl_arena:<id>:last_king% - Last player to claim the crown
%kotl_arena:<id>:top_king% - Arena record holder
%kotl_arena:<id>:top_king_score% - Arena record score
Code (Text):
%kotl_arena:<id>:ready% - Whether the arena setup is complete
%kotl_arena:<id>:enabled% - Whether the arena is available
%kotl_arena:<id>:gamemode% - Configured join game mode
%kotl_arena:<id>:scoreboard_enabled% - Per-arena scoreboard setting
%kotl_arena:<id>:bossbar_enabled% - Per-arena boss bar setting
Spoiler: Leaderboard Placeholders
Leaderboard System
Display your server's top-performing players on scoreboards or holograms.
Display your server's top-performing players on scoreboards or holograms.
Syntax
1. Parameters
2. Available Statistics
You can use these statistics for ranking:
3. Usage Examples
# Name of the 1st place player by total crown claims
%kotl_leaderboard:score:1:name%
# Crown claim count of the 1st place player
%kotl_leaderboard:score:1:value%
# Name of the 3rd place player by total kills
%kotl_leaderboard:kill:3:name%
# Name of the top player in a specific arena
%kotl_leaderboard:arena_score_arena1:1:name%
Code (Text):
%kotl_leaderboard:<statistic>:<position>:<type>%
- <statistic>: The statistic to rank from the list below.
- <position>: The rank position, such as 1, 2, or 3.
- <type>: name for username, value for score, uuid, or formatted_value.
2. Available Statistics
You can use these statistics for ranking:
- score (Total crown claims)
- kill (Total kills)
- death (Total deaths)
- tours_played (Total tours played)
- arena_score_<arena_id> (Personal score in a specific arena)
3. Usage Examples
Code (Text):
# Name of the 1st place player by total crown claims
%kotl_leaderboard:score:1:name%
# Crown claim count of the 1st place player
%kotl_leaderboard:score:1:value%
# Name of the 3rd place player by total kills
%kotl_leaderboard:kill:3:name%
# Name of the top player in a specific arena
%kotl_leaderboard:arena_score_arena1:1:name%
bStats METRICS
This plugin collects anonymous usage statistics through bStats.
This data, such as player count, server version, and Java version, helps us understand how the plugin is being used and allows us to make better development decisions. No private information is collected.
Enjoying the plugin?
We spend hundreds of hours making King of the Ladder the best competitive climbing experience for your server.
If you like the plugin, please consider leaving a 5-star review!
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far! ❤️
Copyright 2026 ©
Berke Akçen
Quick facts
- Edition: Minecraft Java
- File type: .jar
- Minecraft versions listed: 1.21, 26.1, 26.2
- How to install: Install the matching mod loader (Forge, Fabric or NeoForge) for your Minecraft version. → Download the .jar. → Put it in the .minecraft/mods folder and launch that loader profile.
- Where to get it: Opens on Spigot — not every file is mirrored on our own servers.
Install steps are the general flow for this file type — How to install Minecraft Java mods & modpacks walks through it step by step.
King of the Ladder | [1.21.11 - 26.2] is a free Minecraft Java mod. Compatible with Minecraft 1.21, 26.1, 26.2. Downloaded 42,269 times (via Spigot). Download it and open it directly in the game.