Arena fighting fans will be getting a chance to play Pearl Abyss’ Shadow Arena in a closed beta test on Steam.

There are a lot of people around the world loving and playing MOBA games which encourage most of the developers to move towards making online multiplayer titles. However, adding a bit of creativity to the raw materials of any genre could result in a more interesting game. This, actually, is the goal for the team behind Shadow Arena, delivering a Battle Royale inspired PvEvP with a significant focus on melee combats.

Shadow Arena gathers 40 players in an open-world arena where the last man standing will win the game; however, there are more threats than the fighters in the arena. Hunting the monsters will allow you to upgrade your character and gain buffs. Amongst the nine available fighters, you should choose the best one fitting into your fighting style, as every one of them will represent a different way of engaging and combat. The game will be playable in both solo and team modes, similar to most of the Battle Royale games that you’ve already played so far. Playing in team mode will require a connected team and a flawless strategy in order to survive as the winner at the end of the match.

Starting from February 27, Shadow Arena will be available on Steam for a closed beta session until March 8. Don’t forget if you’d like to participate in the test; first, you have to register through here. Check out the trailer below if you have no idea what Shadow Arena is about.

It’s interesting to note that Shadow Arena once was a part of Black Desert Online, but managed to grow enough to convince the development team to make it a stand-alone game.

Thus far, Pearl Abyss hasn’t talked about a console version of Shadow Arena, which probably depends on the fans’ reception for the PC edition of the game.