Escape From Tarkov is getting an action-oriented spin-off, Arena, which will be closely interwoven with the base game. In the latest edition of TarkovTV-Live, the developers finally revealed more about the upcoming Arena.
What happened? A few days ago, the Tarkov developers surprisingly released a first teaser trailer for Arena mode. It already showed fast-paced, action-oriented gameplay, but the most important questions remained unanswered:
What is Arena anyway? Arena used to be a game mode that was not directly related to the basic game Escape From Tarkov. In Arena you are supposed to experience fast matches like in Call of Duty, paired with the Medic system, gunplay and movement of Escape From Tarkov. You'll compete in two teams of five players each. The maps are small and mostly mirror-symmetrical.
No, as we now know for sure, Arena is supposed to be an independent project. This will cost extra! But if you own the €110 "Edge of Darkness" edition, you get Arena for free. The EOD edition will be removed from the store before Arena is released. How much Arena will cost at launch, however, is not yet completely clear
That's the price: lead developer Nikita Buyanov briefly mentioned that the price will be lower than the base game Tarkov (€34.99).
Arena and Tarkov still belong together and take place in the same universe, at the same time. Thus, the developers promise that you will be able to switch smoothly from Escape From Tarkov to Arena at any time. The way in which the two players will then be connected is also not yet known.
At the start of Arena, there should already be a large variety of content, with several maps and game modes. In addition to the usual and already presented Team Deathmatch, there will also be a Horde mode or Capture the Flag.
Furthermore, Arena is supposed to offer 5 - 6 maps already at launch. Later, more maps will follow. These maps are all supposed to be very different, some are indoors, others are outdoors. However, in the first reveal, the BSG team only showed one map, which is set in an airport terminal.
What weapons you'll be able to use at the beginning hasn't been determined yet. However, for the developer it would actually be easiest to import all Tarkov weapons. So the size of the arsenal should be similar.
We mentioned at the beginning that Arena is a faster Tarkov on small maps. But that's almost the end of the differences. Otherwise, you kill your enemies and grab their loot. If you die, you lose your loot. There is no insurance or secure container. What you take into the match or loot in the match, you can also lose completely.
Just like in the basic game Escape From Tarkov, you have to deal with the detailed medicine system in Arena. So your character should always carry appropriate first aid kits. In return, the need for water and food is eliminated!
Arena has quests! Quests will also be part of Arena. However, the quests are very different from those in Tarkov. These are not story-related tasks for traders, but daily or weekly tasks that give you ExP, weapons or equipment. Escape From Tarkov will also have quests that you have to complete in Arena.
Arena doesn't have an exact release window, and it's likely to stay that way for quite a while. The spin-off is scheduled to be released after the 1.0 release of Escape From Tarkov. So Arena is unlikely to be released in 2022 or 2023.
There is one piece of good news though! The developer is currently considering whether to release Arena on Steam. Whether Escape From Tarkov will follow suit is unlikely.
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