The fifth part to the massive Heavy update has been unveiled to an unsuspecting public. The Arena mode has been detailed, but is it what you wanted?
Three existing maps (Well, Granary, and Badlands) have been given an Arena treatment and will undergo significant changes around the central cap point to suit this new mode. These maps are joined by two new maps, which are noted below.
Lumberyard is the first new Arena map. You may have seen the setting appear in the background to some of the Heavy update pages previously.
Last, we have the Ravine.
The last reveal will come tomorrow with the last unlockable for the Heavy. Might we also witness the release of that "very special" Meet the... video? Let's hope so.[break="individual descriptions of the new maps"]Lumberyard:
TF2 Arena keeps the class diversity of Team Fortress 2 while focusing goals around combat between two teams. Where other game modes lean towards a broad overall strategy for the team over a number of lives, Arena concentrates on the specific tactical choices the teams make in a single fight.Also of note for the Arena mode is the fact that there may be few or zero health packs in a map, there will be little to no water in any of the maps, each class will have their distinct advantages, and the initial release comes with five Arena based maps.
Arena features smaller maps that play out in shorter periods of time. The round ends once one team has no players left in the arena, or when the central capture point has unlocked and been captured. Rounds tend to be very fast and highly competitive, with an emphasis on your team’s class makeup and your plan to counter the opposing team’s class choices. Arena mode is great for smaller matches of three vs. three players, while still comfortably supporting huge knockdown twelve-on-twelve brawls.
Three existing maps (Well, Granary, and Badlands) have been given an Arena treatment and will undergo significant changes around the central cap point to suit this new mode. These maps are joined by two new maps, which are noted below.
Lumberyard is the first new Arena map. You may have seen the setting appear in the background to some of the Heavy update pages previously.
Last, we have the Ravine.
The last reveal will come tomorrow with the last unlockable for the Heavy. Might we also witness the release of that "very special" Meet the... video? Let's hope so.[break="individual descriptions of the new maps"]Lumberyard:
Lumberyard has an unbalanced structure, with one half of the map climbing up towards a large mountain peak, while the other dips down into a valley. A series of rooftops at the map’s center serves as the key battleground area, with lateral flanking being the key maneuver at ground level. When the capture point becomes active after 60 seconds, multiple entrances open up into the central control point, which becomes the focus of the fighting as the match nears its end. Lumberyard is one of the few Arena maps without water, and contains only a single health kit. The kit sits on a log above a deadly pit, making it a great ambush spot for Pyros, Demomen, and Soldiers to send unwary enemies to their deaths.Ravine:
In contrast to Lumberyard, Ravine has a far more open ground level with emphasis on control of four key choke points. A series of canals in Ravine’s lower level provide an excellent opportunity for stealth kills and flanking maneuvers. Like all arena maps, the capture point in the middle becomes active after 60 seconds.