respawn

Respawn is the reappearance of a player character, non-player character (NPC), or other in-game entity after death, removal, or deactivation within a virtual environment. In video games and simulations, respawn mechanics are used to maintain participation and pacing, allowing players to re-enter play without restarting the entire session.

Common methods include fixed spawn points that place the entity at a specific location, and timed respawns that occur after a delay. Some games use checkpoints or save points, restoring the player to a previous state. Others employ soft respawns with brief invulnerability to prevent immediate defeat, sometimes referred to as spawn protection.

Variants include permadeath (hardcore) where death ends the run, and traditional respawn where players have limited lives or can continue indefinitely. In multiplayer titles, spawn locations are designed to balance fairness and reduce spawn camping, often featuring randomized or rotating spawns, safe zones, or team-based respawns via objectives.

Impact: Respawn systems shape pacing, strategic risk, and learning curves. They affect how players explore, engage with threats, and recover from mistakes. Poorly designed respawns can cause frustration through unfair spawn locations, long downtime, or insufficient feedback.

See also: spawn point, checkpoint, permadeath.