Battlestate Games has been talking about making the next big step in the continued development of its flagship title,Escape From Tarkov, for quite a long time now. This big step is now finally being realized with the announcement of a standalone version of the game that will focus specifically on combat.
The newly-revealedEscape From Tarkov: Arenais going to deliver a gameplay experience that’s more akin to a regular PvP multiplayer game, albeit one that still retains virtually all ofTarkov’s calling cards, such as its weapon customization. There’s a wealth of information already available about the game, and one of the most important bits is its pricing model.
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Namely,Escape From Tarkov: Arenawill be a paid standalone product that pits players against one another (and AI bots) in gladiatorial arenas, though it will be given out for free to owners of the $140 Edge of DarknessEFTowners. It is described as a session-based multiplayer FPS that does feature all the “beloved hardcore game mechanics” ofEscape From Tarkov, but cuts out many of the base game’s battle royale and survival mechanics. In effect,Arenatoo should be one of thehardest competitive multiplayer games on the market.
While the majority ofEscape From TarkovPvP guidesshould apply toArenaas well once it comes out, Battlestate Games has explained that the game will have its own progression system that will be separate fromEFTitself. To that end, players probably won’t need to source every single piece of their usable gear from raids, although it’s been stated that they will have the option to use theirEFTcharacter inArena, too, if they want.
It has been implied that the vast majority of item stats will simply transfer over fromEFTtoArenaonce it comes out, which means that, for example, knowing how tochoose the right armor inEscape From Tarkovwill still be important for players. To that end, whileTarkovmight attract a bigger audience than ever before with this new standalone multiplayer experience, fighting againstEFTveterans may prove troublesome for them at first.
Now thatCall of Dutyis reportedly adding the DMZ modeandTarkovis getting what looks reasonably similar to aCOD-style multiplayer mode, the coming months and years should be particularly interesting for PvP gamers. BSG is expected to release more details aboutEFT: Arenain the near future, and the specific price of the game is still unknown, though it’s likely going to be cheaper than the $44.99 base game.
Escape From Tarkovis now available on PC, with the standaloneArenagetting a closed beta in Fall 2022.
