Escape From Tarkov Arena is a new standalone gladiatorial FPS

Multiplayer FPS Escape From Tarkov is getting a dedicated PvP spin-off in the form of Escape From Tarkov Arena, developers Battlestate Games have announced on Twitter. Battlestate say Arena will be a “standalone” game, so you won’t need to own the original Tarkov in order to play it, but clarified that anyone who owns Escape From Tarkov’s ‘Edge of Darkess’ pack will have free access to it as DLC. Watch the teaser trailer below.

Arena’s backstory pits players as gladiators fighting battles around Tarkov city, which are organized by a group of Arena Masters led by someone known only as the Host. Battlestate explain that you’ll be able to play as your character from the main Escape From Tarkov game and that all of it “beloved hardcore game mechanics” will still be there, too, along with new PvP and PvE modes.

Matt (RPS in Peace) thought the base version of Escape From Tarkov was exhausting when he took a shot at it back in 2019. “I don’t like it,” he said. “For me, Escaping From Tarkov is a hollow endeavor. Empty in purpose, brimming with faff.” Ouch.

Amelia Hansford, on the other hand, loved exploring Tarkov in modded single-player. “Escape From Tarkov’s flaws in multiplayer weigh down what many consider to be the greatest example of a survival FPS,” she said. “The gun crafting alone – which allows you to build a wholly unique firearm with the thousands of parts at your disposal – exemplifies Tarkov’s prowess.”

Escape From Tarkov Arena will begin closed tests in autumn this year, but no price is attached yet. Like the core game, it’ll be available from the official site here.