Shadow Arena is shifting its main game mode from a 1v40 Battle Royale, to a 3v3 ‘Trio Mode’ that pits two teams of three against each other. The changes to the primary mode of play, according to Pearl Abyss, came directly from player feedback.
Pearl Abyss has also outlined the roles of each team, and what players can expect from a 3v3 battle. The roles are explained as:
- Brawler: Has high life/defense skills and uses strong crowd control and rush skills to lead battles, but is limited in attack range. Brawler Heroes include: Schultz, Goyen, Jordine Ducas
- Dealer: A fast and mobile class with high damage skills but has low HP and defense stats. Dealer Heroes include: Yeonhwa, Haru, Orowen, Ahon
- Support: Focused on buffs and healing party members, but is not a strong 1v1 combatant. Support Hero includes: Herawen
The team has also added several new features to assist in rebalancing the gameplay. By doing this, Pearl Abyss hopes to make the gameplay far more strategic for the team-focused game mode. The features are described as:
- New Black Spirit Skills: Matchlock, a firearm, and Hand of Healing, a healing ability, are available as new Black Spirit Skills
- A new in-game shop, were players trade in tokens dropped by monsters in battle for items to increase team stats like attack points, HP, defense point, moving speed, and attack speed.
- Other balance and gameplay changes include the removal of the Laytenn and Putrum, as they were overpowered and threw off the combat balance.
- A new function added to the post-match results screen allows players to see a breakdown of party members and enemies’ gear, stats and damage dealt in battle.
- The development team also addressed issues where attack and combo special effects obstructed the player’s view. These visuals have been toned down, and the team has also widened the viewing angle at a macro level to increase player visibility.
The 1v40 Battle Royale, and alternative game modes will still be available in private lobbies.
