Deep Desert PvE vs PvP Zones Explained

The 81-cell grid

The Deep Desert map is divided into an 81-cell grid — rows A through I, columns 1 through 9. Zone by zone, the row determines who can contest it:

• Rows A–E: PvE zones — no player-versus-player combat.
• Rows F–I: PvP zones — open contest between players.
• PvP zones pay increased PvE output (resource and loot multipliers).
• Shield Wall coverage runs fixed along rows A/B, anchoring the safe end of the map.

Rows	Zone type	Output
A/B, Shield Wall	Protected PvE	Standard
A–E	PvE, no PvP combat	Standard
F–I	Open PvP contest	Increased PvE output

What this means for your play style

PvE players can farm rows A–E without contest; PvP players farm rows F–I for the multiplier but must defend the spot. Since the grid resets weekly with the Deep Desert wipe, every Tuesday changes where the valuable cells are — the weekly rotation page tracks exactly that.

Why the PvP output bonus changes economies

The PvP multiplier is one reason top-tier items (and schematics) carry high Solari prices on the Exchange: the highest-value resource cells sit in contested rows, and their supply is capped by who holds them each week.

Methodology: the 81-cell grid structure is compiled from third-party community sources (see Sources below); it is not an official Funcom statement.

Sources: Official Deep Desert mechanics documentation [verified].