News from the Arena

Co-op Campaign, tournament upgrades and stability fixes

Jul 5, 2026

Custom Games is here: play the BFME1 Good and Evil campaigns co-op with a friend. Queue a mission from Play, Custom Games, beat it together to unlock the next one, and race other teams on the mission and full-campaign leaderboards. Tournament games now use the arena's game settings, so command points, starting resources and ring heroes match what the arena is configured for. Organizers can also require a minimum number of ranked games and Discord membership to sign up. Games with a caster or neutral host no longer run out of memory and crash during long matches. While searching ranked you now see how much ELO you can win or lose at your current search range. Clicking a like or comment notification takes you straight to that replay, and your profile match list has the same filters as the replays tab. Donators can pin a favorite replay to their profile. Restart Arena to update.

Notifications, replays, and tournament fixes

Jun 26, 2026

A new notifications bell at the top of the Arena lights up when someone replies to or likes your replay comments, when your next tournament match is ready, when an organizer messages you, and for friend requests. The tournament Replays tab is now grouped by round with a filter to show one player's games, and replays now stay available even after a match result is reset. A replays view was also added to the public bracket page. Tournament organizers can now require players to schedule their current-round match before jumping into other games. In double-elimination brackets, a knocked-down player no longer immediately faces the same opponent again. The quickmatch invite list now shows available players first. Automatic win detection now works for games played in Russian, and patch downloads no longer get stuck on the last file. Restart Arena to update.

Tournament fixes and smoother input

Jun 21, 2026

Tournament games with a neutral host now detect the winner automatically, so a series scores itself without manual reporting. Double-elimination brackets now draw the losers bracket correctly, so it is clear who advances where. You get a heads-up in your match chat when your opponent comes online, so games start with less waiting around. Fixed an issue where keypresses could get dropped during a game, so unit and camera controls stay responsive. The scheduling Available and Confirm checkboxes show their labels again. Restart Arena to update.

Tournament fixes

Jun 13, 2026

Tournament game results are detected more reliably. In games with a neutral host or caster, the match now scores for the real winner instead of occasionally crediting the loser. If a game ends without a clear result it reverts for a replay and the organizer sets the score. Your installed add-ons, including the delay fix, are no longer removed when a tournament game launches. New faction counter-pick format: after the map is shown you can see your opponent's faction and pick one to counter it. Organizers can choose this when setting up an event. Tournament hosting is smoother. The start button now appears the moment both players are ready, and organizers can set the exact final score of a series. Restart Arena to update.

Tournament scoring and matchmaking fixes

Jun 13, 2026

Tournament games with a neutral host now end and score reliably. When one side is fully defeated the other side wins right away, the result is recorded, the replay is saved, and everyone is taken out of the game, no more being left sitting in the lobby. Co-organizers can now use the organizer controls they were already allowed to, like approving a start and managing matches. Quickmatch matchmaking: you now only get matched with someone when both of your search ranges actually reach each other's rating, so you no longer end up against opponents far outside your range. Restart Arena to update.

Tournament starts fixed and draw votes

Jun 12, 2026

Tournament starts: a start that can't happen no longer leaves a stuck "game in progress" with no game. The match stays ready, your START clicks are kept, and the card now tells you exactly why it didn't launch, like someone being offline or still finishing another game. Stuck "still in another game" states clear themselves. Neutral hosts: a game with an approved neutral host never starts without them anymore, and the host now sees clear status while waiting for both players to ready up. Draw votes: tournament games now have an in-game draw vote. If both sides agree, the game is voided with no score change and you simply replay it. Games that end without a clear winner also close properly now, so you are never left sitting in the game lobby. Map first: in tournaments with the standard map-first order, the chosen map is revealed on the loading screen before you pick your faction. Fair brackets: a match can no longer be auto-decided 0-0 by an old ready signal from someone who left days ago. Scheduling: availability that has passed counts as not set again, and the availability grid now shows your own match by default, with filters to view any match or a single player. Organizers can read everyone's availability in the same grid. Restart Arena to update.