The Escape From Tarkov Arena Beta is live, and here’s how you can play

Are you on the list?

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The Beta forEscape From Tarkov Arenais now available to download, but only players who have been selected in the first wave of invites will be able to. If you missed it this time, there will be another opportunity soon, so fret not.

But, for those who have been approved, you will need to sign into the BattleState Games launcher (or start by downloading it - if you haven’t already) with your account linked to the email that has received the invite, and you should see anEscape From Tarkov Arenasection on the side menu.

From here, you will need to select the game title as if you were to open it, which will allow you to trigger the download process. Once downloaded, you’ll be able to open theArenaBeta from this section in the side menu.

If you’re still waiting, more invites are expected to roll out as any bugs or issues flagged by the first wave of players are ironed out, but it’s hard to say when as Battlestate Games hasn’t confirmed how many players are being invited at a time. With that said, it’s worth keeping an eye on your inbox over the coming weeks just in case an invite gets sent out without warning.

As we stated in ourEscape From Tarkov Arenapreview, “Arena captures the terror of a close-rangeEscape From Tarkovfirefight and makes an entire game out of it.” So, if you’re looking to get a little more high-risk high-reward action compared to the base game, then it’s worth checking out theArenabeta if and when you can. Especially for those who ownEscape From Tarkov Edge of Darknessand can get hold ofArenafor free.  Otherwise, you’ll have to bite the bullet and cough up some extra bucks for the privilege.

We’ve got a guide to thebest FPS gamesif you’re looking for an alternative shooter to jump into. However, if you just want something a little more communal, you might want to check out our guide to thebest co-op gamesor thebest multiplayer PC games, too.

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Kara is an Evergreen writer at TechRadar Gaming. With a degree in Journalism and a passion for the weird and wonderful, she’s spent the last few years as a freelance video game journalist, with bylines at NintendoLife, Attack of the Fanboy, Prima Games, and sister publication, GamesRadar+. Outside of gaming, you’ll find her re-watching Gilmore Girls or trying to cram yet another collectible onto a shelf that desperately needs some organizing.

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