Behind the Scenes: Arenas
Greetings, Adventurers!
The new PvP Arena requires effective teamwork to quickly defeat the other team, but what about the design details you can’t always slow down to admire mid-fight? New World Gameplay Design Manager David Hall and Game Designer Patrick Smedley joined us for a deeper look at the 3v3 mode’s development, balance philosophy, and announcer. Let’s go behind the scenes for a better sense of how the team strives to immerse players in epic, small-scale battles.
Immersion started well before Arenas came to life in sketches. Aesthetically, Patrick and the Design Team set out to create a battleground that ties into the lore of Aeternum. Corruption looms throughout the outer sections of the Arena, while Adventurers fight around pillars without hazards or other distractions in the ring. This clean design allows players to focus on competitive matches — perfect training conditions for Soulwardens to prepare for their inevitable fight against the Corrupted.
The layout is based less on lore and more around balance. Fundamental questions about player count, match length, and level requirements helped shape a 2D map of the Arena. Next, the Design Team collaborated with artists and engineers to convert it into a playable 3D space.
“Our first pass on the Arena level ended up being way too big and the Arena took quite a long time to run around, which gave ranged players a really heavy edge in matches,” Patrick said.
The Design Team went on to shrink the Arena twice to achieve their goal of a tight, focused mode that gives neither melee nor ranged playstyles an advantage. Following PTR feedback, they also adjusted the pillars’ placement to better block initial lines of sight.
According to Patrick and David, the New World
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