Do Players Even Like Arena Existing?

(Intro)

Do people actually like arena? I mean it’s kind of a dumb question to ask, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about ever since the start of this hardcore wipe and Ref was added back into the pool of available traders. The game has come quite a long way compared to when it first released and the absolute disaster it was. At least now we can build the kits we want to use with sone level of restriction that feels fair for the most part. But when looking at arena by itself objectively, it feels like it should exist and that there is some level of enjoyment to get out of the experience. Could it still use some tweaks, iterations and additions to fully flash the game out? Of course; all in due time, hopefully. But the experience of the game itself has been marred by it coexisting with EFT proper, and it feels as though that has soured the perception of Arena somewhat. So, let’s break arena down to its core components, look at the game both by itself and when paired with Tarkov proper and ask the question: do people both play and enjoy this game? And what else can we expect from arena as time goes on?

(Arena’s atrocious launch)

I feel as though most people would agree that the initial release of Arena way back in December of 2023, crazy how it’s already been almost two years. But that version of the game should’ve never existed; the entire concept of prebuild loadouts that people have absolutely no control over was the worst idea imaginable for a mode that is supposed to be an on ramp for people who are curious about EFT, but are intimidated by the severe learning curve. But the way it was handled at the start is genuinely hilarious upon reflection. Different trees of kits that progressively get better gear, but also require more time invested in that tree to progress. You think you would’ve seen a class you want to use and grind for, but the result of that system was you’d grind for a class, use it, realize it isn’t that fun and then just work towards another class in a different tree. It also didn’t help that every round you’d have to remember to put your weapon in full auto, and swap lasers, optics or red dots around every single around start. And some classes didn’t even have a pack of painkillers. The execution on the vision at the start was so bad. It took until August of 2024, a year ago before we saw the preset system we currently have. Now, you can within the parameters of each class, build pretty much whatever you wanted as long as you didn’t go over the allotted number of points allocated for that class. Otherwise, if the class had an item, you could use it. It's still not perfect; the balance of the classes feels really skewed right now and could be improved, but the idea, implementation and general execution of this version of Arena was miles ahead of the last. If it launched like this at the start, people would’ve genuinely been excited to play Arena. But while Arena itself is pretty cool, its connection to EFT leaves something to be desired.

(Arena has muddied EFTs water)

I don’t think anyone would disagree that these two modes existing side by side is not a bad thing for players. On one hand, you have the experience BSG wants you to have; an immersive and difficult yet satisfying survival game that will truly test your metal and prowess as a gamer. An experience that while obtuse, broken and Jank in many places can still be enjoyable especially if it’s your first time playing. And on the other hand, we have a more arcadey, proper battle simulator where losing isn’t as impactful and the sting of failure is significantly reduced. You don’t lose your kit, you don’t have to retry a quest all over again, you just get to requeue and enjoy what Arena has to offer. What has happened unfortunately, is the two titles merging somewhat. The crossover when it was still an idea had players being cautious but overall optimistic that it wouldn’t ruin the experience or balance in either mode. But what it has actually done is gnaw away at the progression in EFT. Because now, for those who don’t like questing or going through the motions of the proper game, there is a way around it. Granted, there are still some hurdles and hiccups that need to be worked through even if you have no intention of playing EFT, but once that black box is opened, there is essentially no going back. What makes this worse at least in the current state of affairs, is combine these changes with the hardcore wipe, you know, the experience that is supposed to remove and restrict some elements of progression to prolong the early Tarkov experience, and you have a recipe for players to burst out in frustration. Nothing hurts more than having your time wasted; which Tarkov is infamous for. And now, Arena is a means to circumvent everything set in place by BSG for the purpose of longevity. And again, while Arena is cool, how it’s being almost forced onto players is not cool.

(They want us to play Arena... bad)

With the most recent change to hardcore being a massive increase in the price of repairing items in the game, it’s very convenient that levels three and four Ref sell repair kits. While they also increased the spawn chance of the items in the world, it feels as though they are like why risk hauling one of those around? Just play Arena; you can buy one for GP coins and be set for a long time. If it’s one element about Arena that is rubbing players the wrong way, it’s how forceful BSG is being with getting people to play it. Arena has gone beyond just some extra incentives like the ability to transfer some money over every now and again. It has become a vital part of the hardcore experience, which worries me about how much this will carry over into the 1.0 version of the game. And to be honest... I don’t know how to feel about it overall. I think Arena is great, but only by itself. It should be a place for people to either get a taste of what Tarkov can be like without the fear of losing kits, but it can also be a place for players to either warm up before entering a raid, or to just mess around with friends in a stress-free environment. Everything about it is positive, until you start looking at the cross-progression elements. At first it was just sending money over, so if you were ever down bad, you could play some Arena, complete a couple of quests, and transfer that money and be back in the fight. But now, Tarkov’s hardcore wipe has been altered so negatively to just playing Tarkov, that Arena has become almost essential to staying afloat in the game. Which is something I don’t think players of either game ultimately wanted. We should be able to manage in EFT alone, and if we want more or are again, about to have no rubles, sure, I’ll play a couple Arena games and send some money over. That’s as far as that exchange should’ve gone. But now, things have taken a very sharp turn for the worse. It’s a shame that BSG feels the need to force the player's hand; these two games can exist, but not together.

(Outro)

Arena is a fantastic addition to the Tarkov universe, when looking at the game in a vacuum. A place to run around, play some objectives, use weapons and kits you may not be able to see consistently in EFT proper, and to just have fun with. Sadly, the idea of cross progression and the linking of both games has soured the experience on both fronts. I play Arena when I don’t have the time for a full Tarkov raid, when I die a bunch in EFT or are just bored. Because of that, and completing daily and weekly challenges, I have amassed over twelve-hundred GP coins that at any time I can transfer over and abuse. Ref’s inventory is at level three loyalty. With the repair changes, it won’t be long before his final page of items gets opened up, and that’s when the hardcore wipe is truly over. These two games are great, but when put together, an experience is created that is less than ideal. A means to funnel players into a mode that was created, poorly received, iterated on and revised multiple times, and now has become somewhat of the basis for many players to stay afloat. It’s shame, this entire wipe has been; it was so easy. So simple to get it right, and while people would’ve still been apprehensive about it, at the very least the reception would’ve generally been more positive than it currently is. Who knows how much longer or what else is going to change, but hey if you are struggling with the hardcore wipe, just go play Arena, as per BSGs specifications. Sadly, it just might fix all your Tarkov problems. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Let me know down in the comment section below your thoughts on Arena as a game by itself, whether or not you enjoy it, if the cross progression with Tarkov was a good idea and be sure to subscribe for more videos about half-baked ideas ruining not just one, but now two experiences for everyone involved. I hope to see you in future ones.