diff --git a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java
index 29ed9ce..6078952 100644
--- a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java
+++ b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java
@@ -348,8 +348,11 @@ public class Arena {
             World world = config.getWorld();
             if (world != null) {
                 powerupManager.expireOld(world, round + 1);
-                powerupManager.maybeSpawn(world, random, round + 1);
+                PowerupType spawned = powerupManager.maybeSpawn(world, random, round + 1);
                 powerupManager.applyMarkers(world);
+                if (spawned != null) {
+                    announcePowerupSpawn(spawned);
+                }
             }
             onComplete.run();
         });
@@ -585,6 +588,19 @@ public class Arena {
         }
     }
 
+    /** Announces a freshly-spawned powerup to everyone currently in the arena, so players know
+     *  to go look for it instead of relying on spotting the marker block by chance. */
+    private void announcePowerupSpawn(PowerupType type) {
+        Map<String, String> ph = Map.of("type", type.displayName());
+        for (UUID uuid : allParticipants()) {
+            Player p = plugin.getServer().getPlayer(uuid);
+            if (p != null) {
+                p.sendMessage(plugin.getMessages().get("powerup.spawned", ph));
+            }
+        }
+        playToParticipants("powerup-spawn");
+    }
+
     /** Plays a configured sound directly to every current player/spectator (each at their own
      *  location), instead of once at a single world coordinate — Bukkit's location-based
      *  playSound falls off with distance, so anyone far from that one spot would hear nothing. */
diff --git a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/powerup/PowerupManager.java b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/powerup/PowerupManager.java
index 5624800..6f4feb7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/powerup/PowerupManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/powerup/PowerupManager.java
@@ -57,25 +57,28 @@ public class PowerupManager {
     }
 
     /** Rolls whether a new powerup should appear this round and, if so, places one above a
-     *  random free floor cell. No-op while powerups are disabled or the floor has no free cells. */
-    public void maybeSpawn(World world, Random random, int currentRound) {
+     *  random free floor cell. No-op while powerups are disabled or the floor has no free cells.
+     *
+     * @return the type that spawned, or null if nothing spawned this call (so the caller can
+     *         decide whether to announce it - see Arena). */
+    public PowerupType maybeSpawn(World world, Random random, int currentRound) {
         if (!configManager.isPowerupsEnabled() || world == null) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
         if (active.size() >= configManager.getPowerupMaxActive()) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
         if (random.nextDouble() >= configManager.getPowerupSpawnChance()) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
         List<String> floorKeys = floorManager.layoutKeys();
         if (floorKeys.isEmpty()) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
         String floorKey = floorKeys.get(random.nextInt(floorKeys.size()));
         String markerKey = aboveKey(floorKey);
         if (markerKey == null || active.containsKey(markerKey)) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
         PowerupType[] types = PowerupType.values();
         PowerupType type = types[random.nextInt(types.length)];
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ public class PowerupManager {
         int lifetime = min + (max > min ? random.nextInt(max - min + 1) : 0);
         active.put(markerKey, new ActivePowerup(type, markerKey, currentRound, lifetime));
         placeMarkerBlock(world, markerKey, markerMaterial(type));
+        return type;
     }
 
     /** (Re-)places every currently active powerup's marker block in the world. Only strictly
diff --git a/src/main/resources/config.yml b/src/main/resources/config.yml
index 60a3ecb..54d6866 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/config.yml
+++ b/src/main/resources/config.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ sounds:
   eliminate: ENTITY_VILLAGER_NO
   round-complete: BLOCK_NOTE_BLOCK_BELL
   victory: UI_TOAST_CHALLENGE_COMPLETE
+  powerup-spawn: ENTITY_PLAYER_LEVELUP
 
 music:
   # Optional background music for the duration of a match, played on the client's MUSIC