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The red side of the main building on arena_lumberyard

Arena

Arena is a game mode added during the Heavy Update in which teams RED and BLU are pitted against each other, in a battle to the death. The goal for both teams is to kill all of the opposing team's players, with no respawning during rounds. If both teams survive one minute of fighting, a control point will unlock, allowing a team to win by capping the point.

Gameplay

Arena maps are designed to keep the class diversity of Team Fortress 2 while focusing goals around combat between two teams. Whereas other game modes lean towards a broad, overall strategy for the team, Arena concentrates on the specific tactical choices the teams make in a single fight. Arena features smaller maps that play out more quickly. The round ends once either team has no players left in the arena, or when the control point has unlocked and been captured. Rounds tend to be very fast and highly competitive, with an emphasis on a team's class makeup and plans to counter the opposing team's class choices. Arena mode is suitable for smaller matches such as three-versus-three, while still comfortably supporting huge knockdown twelve-on-twelve brawls. There are usually very few, if any, Health kits, and even then they are often far from the main action, near stage hazards, or both. This forces teams to rely more on Dispensers and Medics.

Players may have to sit out to keep team numbers balanced if they were on the losing team, but players on the winning team never have to sit out the next round.

The First Blood critical hit buff is unique to the Arena game mode, and can be used to give the player an advantage against the enemy team.