Tarkov Arena

Tarkov Arena.

The Escape from Tarkov game earned a very special type of popularity among players because of its challenging gameplay which revolves around gathering loot, managing specific (but enjoyable!) gunplay, and dealing with various foes, especially the AI-powered enemies. Tarkov Arena provides EFT fans with an experience of similar feelings, but drastically different in certain core mechanics.
The mysterious Arena Masters coordinate battles under the guidance of the Host. The whole concept of the game revolves around us, ordinary players, engaging in the web of their plans. They force us to face each other in various game modes and will punish us if we don’t fit the timer. When the overtime is up we do have not much time to deal with the objective, as the clean squad of AI-powered creatures including bosses will be after us. So, let’s get prepared!

What is Tarkov Arena?

Here, you will have to face, first of all, other players as enemies that compete with you for control over the objective. You can pick one of the role presets and dive into ranked or unranked (unavailable at the moment) matches. At the same time, you can choose between game modes for ranked matches like Tournament, Teamfight, Overrun, or Last Hero. We will describe them later in detail.
Tarkov Arena requires a decent level of skill to succeed as in this PvPvE game you may meet not only other players as enemies. If the team is not swift enough to deal with enemies, the elite AI clean squad will start fighting both sides of the competition until one of them succeeds. If, eventually, teams do not gain an advantage over enemy players, everyone will be defeated in the end.

Tarkov Arena Maps.

Before we proceed to the core gameplay features, let us briefly explain what plays a separate role in the EFT Arena. These maps are uniquely designed levels that should be remembered in detail if you wanna succeed in defeating the enemies. Most maps have medical supplies and grenades present around the arena, while some maps like Sawmill and Air Pit can make you happy with weapon pickups.
Most of the maps are battlefields for all core ranked game modes, but there are, of course, exceptions like Sawmill (you can only play Teamfight there at the moment). As in any shooter like Tarkov Arena, knowing the map keeping in mind the game mode plays a definitive role because the objectives are dependent on the particular map as well. Here is a list of maps currently present in the game.

• Sawmill.
• Air Pit.
• Bay 5.
• Equator.
• Bowl.
• Chop Shop.
• The Box (coming soon).
• Resort (coming soon).

Tarkov Arena Game Modes.

Basically, there are two types of game modes in Tarkov Arena, the Ranked and Unranked matches. Although at the moment you can try only the Ranked ones, in the future Unranked will become available as well. Developers assume players will train their skill and knowledge of the maps in the Unranked mode to conquer the ladder later.
Doing so requires a huge success in the Ranked matches. For now, there are two modes available in the game with another two upcoming later, and one announced, but might be only coming in the DLC. Here is a list of all Ranked matches and game modes we know about at the moment.

• Shootout: Tournament (available).
• Teamfight: No One’s Left Behind (available).
• Overrun: Cooperate Or Die (coming soon).
• Last Hero (coming soon).
• Duel (planned).

Shootout Tournament Game Mode.

The tournament is organized for either six teams of 2 players or four teams of 3 players, thus a 2×2 or 3×3 format, that meet each other in the so-called “round-robin” rules. This is a tournament layout where all teams have to play with each other for several rounds, and here, the two teams with the most victory points will make it to the final. Worth noting that if during the round overtime is enabled, and no one secures the objective for a victory, you can get a draw.

Teamfight. Deathmatch Game Mode.

A 5v5 competition where two teams meet each other for 7 rounds until the possible winner earns five victories. Sounds pretty classic, but eliminating enemies within the time limit can seem to be a tough task. If the team is not successful with that, during the overtime (when you can secure the objective) a clean squad as long as AI-powered bosses will attack the players until one team is defeated completely (not saying that at some points the poisonous gas will start filling all the space). Tarkov Arena is relentless to players!

Overrun Game Mode.

These are PvE missions for 5 players that involve dealing with the wave of AI-powered enemies, securing the objectives, and evacuating to the safe zone. EFT Arena here allows you to explore the maps and their lore in detail while immersing in the storytelling together with your friends. This is a very experimental game mode that significantly differs from others due to the rejection of the PvP component.

Last Hero. Solo Deathmatch Game Mode

The Last Hero mode is a classical deathmatch where each player has to queue solo and kill as many enemy players as possible. The one with the most kills will win! For now, the game mode is still unfinished and not fully presented to the players, but most probably you won’t be able to queue as a team or with friends, and thus it is a perfect opportunity for those seeking to feel a pure solo Tarkov Arena experience.

Tarkov Arena Presets.

In EFT Arena, you can select a role and gear preset depending on your chosen Class, rating, and special conditions (like pre-ordering Rizhiy Edition). There are four classes in the game, and all of them contain numerous presets which include varied weapons and equipment. Below you can see the list of these roles.

• Scout.
• Marksman.
• CQB.
• Assault.

Tarkov Arena Roles. Choose Your Playstyle!

Scout and Marksman are two classes that are heavily dependent on your ability to deal lots of damage while surviving on your own. Presets for the Marksman role provide you with long-ranged weapons and relatively fine armor, however, it is not the same for the Scout which has much weaker armor and short-ranged weapons. At the same time, one of the most deadly presets, Plantain is wielded by Scouts, and is so popular because of the relatively decent armor.
CQB and Assault are for the players who prefer to play safe and wanna provide versatile utility to the team. CQBs are local tanks that can defend their positions and stay in action longer than others. The Assault role is unique because presets here can be useful for various cases, and thus the player can find a balanced solution in terms of weapon and armor.

Presets for Rating and Special Promos.

Of course, the game rewards players who climb high the ladder. We will talk about the rating system further, but for now, you should keep in mind that by reaching a certain rank up to the S one, you will get the same-called class and opportunity to obtain presets from it. For example, reaching Warrior rank opens access to the Warrior class and the presets called Tank, Tornado, Mite, and Strangler.
At the same time, players can also get a unique class-preset combo for participating in a special promo by pre-ordering Rizhiy Edition. You can even have Balaklava as a part of this preset! In the future, the developers may add other presets as a reward for the various in-game achievements. So, watch out for any additions brought up by them in the news!

Tarkov Arena Rating.

There is a match-making system that is represented by a quite classical ladder in Tarkov Arena. Of course, you can win matches and earn a rating, and lose matches to get low on it. However, reaching certain ranks allows you to shine in a gameplay sense too as you can open access to new classes, and thus get unique presets that may correspond to your playstyle better.

How Does Rating in Tarkov Arena Work?

First of all, you need to know the concept of ARP. These are Arena Reputation Points that are being earned (or lost) when you win (or lose) ranked games. They are used for several purposes like providing fair matchmaking (so that you could challenge only with players with nearly the same amount of ARP) or unlocking presets and classes.
However, the way your rating changes depends on the game mode you play. For example, you will earn 25 ARP for the victory in the Teamfight (and drop down by the same amount of points if you lose), but if you play Shootout, it works differently. If you win, for example, the 3v3 tournament, you get 30 ARP, while the second place will bring you 15 ARP. At the same time, the third and the last, fourth place, will force you to lose 15 and 30 points correspondingly.

Tarkov Arena Ladder. Become the Legend of Arena!

Everything in the ranked games is regulated by the ladder. Your position there is dependent on the amount of ARP you have. Each rank is indicated by a special letter and a glorious name. Also, each rank up to the S level grants you access to unique classes and presets. However, keep in mind that Tarkov Arena is a tough game, and reaching the Legend of the Arena rank will be far from a piece of cake. Here is the full ladder.

And there are some special ranks for TOP ladder players:

• S+ Whisper of Death – Top 1000 Players.
• S+ (Bronze) Flame Warrior – Top 100 Players.
• S+ (Silver) Big Boss – Top 10 Players.
• S+ (Gold) The Legend of the Arena – Top 1 Player.

Keep in mind, though, that your rating and position in the leaderboard are not determined by your individual statistics. It doesn’t matter how well you play as a skilled and experienced EFT fan if you still lose the game. Therefore, all that matters for ARP is just the ratio between your victories and losses, and the requirements are slightly higher if you play Shootout.
However, there is still space for personal choice and unique decisions regarding PvP experience. As people owning presets from a particular rank can compete only with those of the same rank, thus you can thoroughly plan and design your playstyle for a certain game mode keeping in mind the rank you got. It is incredibly useful in case you are afraid of unfair matchmaking!

F.A.Q.
Is Escape from Tarkov Arena free?
It is free only for the wielders of the Edge of Darkness edition of Escape from Tarkov. Otherwise, you will have to buy the game.
What is ARP Score Ration?
At the moment, this is the balance of points from your victories and losses in the core ranked game modes available (Teamfight and Shootout).
Do EFT and Tarkov Arena share progress?
According to developers, weapon mastering, skills, and character level will both grow in EFT: Arena and Escape from Tarkov. So, it can be beneficial to play both games at the same time.
When is the release of Tarkov Arena?
The beta of the game launched on the 17th of December 2023. At the moment, it is not clear when the full release will happen, and there are no statements about the planned date so far.