Pearl Abyss's Shadow Arena Is Now A Team-Based 3v3 Combat Game

Well, here's something I wasn't expecting, although perhaps those of you who play Shadow Arena with any regularity saw it coming. But, for the rest of us, the fact that Pearl Abyss announced a major shift in the game's focus from a battle royale to a team-based combat game is a bit of a surprise. The company announced the change today, saying that it "has shifted its primary game mode from 1v40 battle royale to team-based 'Trio Mode.'" This change is apparently the result of player feedback intended to give players "exactly what they're asking for". It's worth noting that the battle royale version does still exist, just as a casual play option in private lobbies.

So, what is it that players were asking for? According to the announcement, they were looking for something with more strategy and cooperation involved.

This shift also includes a restructuring of the game's Hero roles. There are now three roles -- which makes sense: Brawler, Dealer, and Support. Brawler is the more tank-y of the three, with high life/defense skills and crowd control. Dealer is a more mobile class with high damage but low HP and defense. Support does exactly what you'd expect support to do.

Along with these changes, Pearl Abyss is also adding new features to the game. These include new skills, a new game shop, and a new function in the post-match results screen that offers players a breakdown of their party contribution.