diff --git a/benchmarks/handle-event/index.js b/benchmarks/handle-event/index.js
index bb417885..772efe46 100644
--- a/benchmarks/handle-event/index.js
+++ b/benchmarks/handle-event/index.js
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ makeEdgeEnv()
 const event = new FetchEvent('fetch', { request })
 
 const fn = async () => {
-  let res = await hono.handleEvent(event)
+  let res = await hono.fetch(event.request)
   console.log(await res.text())
   res = await ittyRouter.handle(event.request)
   console.log(await res.text())
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ const suite = new Benchmark.Suite()
 
 suite
   .add('Hono', async () => {
-    await hono.handleEvent(event)
+    await hono.fetch(event.request)
   })
   .add('itty-router', async () => {
     await ittyRouter.handle(event.request)
diff --git a/deno_dist/hono-base.ts b/deno_dist/hono-base.ts
index 5965ab41..2ed34f89 100644
--- a/deno_dist/hono-base.ts
+++ b/deno_dist/hono-base.ts
@@ -351,6 +351,11 @@ class Hono<E extends Env = Env, S = {}, BasePath extends string = '/'> extends d
     })()
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @deprecate
+   * `app.handleEvent()` will be removed in v4.
+   * Use `app.fetch()` instead of `app.handleEvent()`.
+   */
   handleEvent = (event: FetchEventLike) => {
     return this.dispatch(event.request, event, undefined, event.request.method)
   }
@@ -375,8 +380,8 @@ class Hono<E extends Env = Env, S = {}, BasePath extends string = '/'> extends d
   fire = () => {
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
     // @ts-ignore
-    addEventListener('fetch', (event: FetchEvent): void => {
-      void event.respondWith(this.handleEvent(event))
+    addEventListener('fetch', (event: FetchEventLike): void => {
+      event.respondWith(this.dispatch(event.request, event, undefined, event.request.method))
     })
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/hono-base.ts b/src/hono-base.ts
index 882943d9..378f5846 100644
--- a/src/hono-base.ts
+++ b/src/hono-base.ts
@@ -351,6 +351,11 @@ class Hono<E extends Env = Env, S = {}, BasePath extends string = '/'> extends d
     })()
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @deprecate
+   * `app.handleEvent()` will be removed in v4.
+   * Use `app.fetch()` instead of `app.handleEvent()`.
+   */
   handleEvent = (event: FetchEventLike) => {
     return this.dispatch(event.request, event, undefined, event.request.method)
   }
@@ -375,8 +380,8 @@ class Hono<E extends Env = Env, S = {}, BasePath extends string = '/'> extends d
   fire = () => {
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
     // @ts-ignore
-    addEventListener('fetch', (event: FetchEvent): void => {
-      void event.respondWith(this.handleEvent(event))
+    addEventListener('fetch', (event: FetchEventLike): void => {
+      event.respondWith(this.dispatch(event.request, event, undefined, event.request.method))
     })
   }
 }