It’s official: Escape From Tarkov is about to become a legitimate esports title. It was revealed recently by Battlestate Games that the all-new, standalone game, Tarkov: Arena, will debut at DreamHack Hannover in mid-December as an above-board esports game. It’s the first tournament of its kind for the hardcore shooter, which emerged in 2016 as an extraction shooter that spearheaded the genre and led to its popularisation today.

Tarkov: Arena is a separate game from Escape From Tarkov, but it has some crossover elements written into it. Instead of being an extraction shooter that’s a borderline ‘milsim’ game, Tarkov: Arena is a team-based shooter, set in small, fast-paced maps, making use of loadouts and traditional game modes to bring about a more core ‘multiplayer’ experience. It has been revealed that six ‘pro teams’ will compete in Tarkov: Arena in December for a €100,000 prize pool.

Related: Tarkov Arena’s Esports Potential

Tarkov’s Time to Shine

Image Credit: DreamHack/Battlestate Games

Escape From Tarkov hasn’t ever been totally shut off from the world of esports. There have been a few community-led esports tournaments over the years, and the developer – Battlestate – has worked to introduce a competitive vibe into the game’s ecosystem of late. However, owing to the base nature of the game and its stark differences from the ‘bulk’ of the esports games out there, it never really gelled with the industry.

That’s where Tarkov: Arena comes along. It’s perfectly placed to deliver a traditional multiplayer experience, and that competitive formula goes hand in hand with everything that has succeeded in the esports industry thus far.

In a blog post published to celebrate the news, Battlestate Games’ Nikita Buyanov said:

‘We are excited to debut Escape from Tarkov: Arena in Germany to demonstrate our ambition in taking our esports endeavors to the next level. Developing an esports title has always been part of our EFT: Arena roadmap and the immense popularity and community demand have proven that we are on the right track. We see DreamHack Hannover as a great stage for us to showcase the new title and an opportunity to engage and grow our community with esports and other experiential activations on-site.’

So, Tarkov fans – from the 14th to the 17th of December, you’ll want to tune in to DreamHack Hannover. It’s a celebration of all things competitive gaming, but this time around, it’ll be ground zero for the first major Tarkov: Arena tournament — and that means history is about to be made.

Related: New Map Revealed For Tarkov’s Next Wipe

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