Arena Mode Brings Card Draft Gameplay To 'Gwent'

Since its inception as a standalone title, Gwent had just one game mode. Similar to the mini-game in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you had to accrue cards to create a deck and then face off against an opponent. Yesterday, CD Projekt RED revealed on a livestream that Gwent fans will soon get a new game variant to try called “Arena.”

In order to enter the draft-based mode, you’ll need to pay a fee. You can either pay 150 ore, which is the in-game currency, or $2 in real-world money. Once payment is offered, you’ll get a contract, which features nine matches. Winning each match will give you rewards, and if you complete the contract, you’ll get a Legendary Premium card. However, you can lose the contract if you’re defeated three times. Regardless of the outcome, all players are guaranteed one keg, or card pack, for participating.

Prior to entering your first match, you’ll have to construct a deck of 26 cards. Because this is a draft-based mode, you’ll have to choose your arsenal from a rotating pool of four cards. Your deck is also free from restrictions so you can choose cards of different factions and rarities. Because of this, the studio recommends that you “choose cards that have high value on their own and are not dependent on synergy.”

A release date for Arena wasn’t announced because the developers are still making tweaks to the gameplay experience, which means that what fans saw on the livestream might not be available in the release version. Regardless, the announcement of draft-based gameplay is a blessing to fans of the game. The ability to play only one mode in Gwent can’t keep players hooked for a long period of time, and the addition of Arena should give fans something else to do in the game. CD Projekt RED also has a story campaign, titled “Thronebreaker,” in the works, but its release was delayed to later this year.