Apex Legends Introduces Permanent Mode Arenas, 3v3 Round-Based Matches

If a battle royale is a little too ... well, big, for you ... then Respawn Entertainment has something new for you to try out. The Apex Legends developer today announced Arenas, a new permanent game mode that trims the competition down by 90%. Surely you'll win that victory royale now, right?

Arenas is a 3v3 game mode, with a simple objective: eliminate the enemy team. Teammates can be revived if downed, but cannot respawn if fully eliminated. Between rounds, you'll be able to upgrade your gear using resources you collected in the previous round. Weapons don't carry over between rounds, a decision Respawn made to give players the chance to swap loadouts and prevent matches from "snowballing too hard after one or two rounds." Abilities also have a limited number of uses.

Matches are fought on custom maps within Kings Canyon, World's Edge, and Olympus. The arena closes in as a round progresses, with a care package of upgraded weapons dropping in during each round.

To win an Arenas match, you'll need to win at least three rounds and be leading by at least two. If it goes eight rounds and is still tied at four apiece, the winner of the next round takes it. Respawn explained the unusual victory conditions by saying it originally conceived Arena as a best-of-seven affair, but saw a lot of blowouts that "felt terrible for the losing side, and sort of boring for the winners."

Arenas will be added to Apex Legends in the upcoming Legacy update. Learn more about the new mode on the Apex Legends site.