Player Versus Environment

Player versus Environment (abbreviated as PvE) describes a videogame mode in which players compete against computer-controlled enemy NPCs, or mobs. This mode is distinct from Player versus Player, where players compete against other players. Usually PvE modes are available as offline singleplayer modes, but many can be played cooperatively, online and offline. The primary makeup of a PvE mode pits players against multiple mobs at a time, or in waves. A prominent example is Horde mode from the Gears of War series, which popularized and codified PvE modes for many years, to the point where in everyday parlance PvE is referred to as "Horde Mode" (PvE is also referred to as Survival Mode or Endurance Mode colloquially). Sometimes PvE modes are unlocked after the completion of the game's story as a reward (e.g. Dante's Inferno's Gates of Hell mode). Other times it (unfortunately) is offered as purchasable DLC (e.g. Mass Effect's Pinnacle Station). The majority of PvEs, while able to be played solo offline, are designed to be played with multiple players. This is evident by the number of enemies thrown at the player, the multiple avenues of attack they have, and other prominent factors.