If you’re short on time but still itching to play a game that’s more competitive, you don’t have to go far. T3 Arena is a new 3v3 arena shooter that is perfect for fast paced gameplay on the go. The game launched on May 26 for iOS via the App Store and is also available for Android via TapTap. There are plenty of different features and modes and there are even competitive seasons for those interested in climbing the ranks. If you’re new to T3 Arena, let me break it down for you.
T3 Arena is a free-to-play arena shooter where teams of three compete against each other in different modes during matches lasting just a few minutes. The game features the increasingly popular ‘heroes’ system where you can choose from a diverse and exciting cast of characters depending on how you want to play the game, such as Gloria who has a shotgun for short range, an assault rifle for long range , and the Quicksand Bomb to slow enemies before it explodes, dealing significant damage to everyone in range. Characters are unlocked by completing challenges and increasing the Battle Pass, but unlike Overwatch, these characters can also level up themselves, increasing their health and other stats to make them more effective in the arena. One of my favorite heroes is Iris, a kind of Mercy/Lifeline support hybrid that can deal some pretty vicious damage while also keeping her team in the fight.
There’s a whole lot of an Overwatch vibe going on in T3 Arena. The gameplay feels hectic at times and the tide of battle can turn quickly with a well-placed ultimate attack. You’ll compete against other players in a variety of modes such as Team Deathmatch, Payload Escort, and Crystal Assault, or you can even take on the entire lobby in Free-for-All. For the most part, modes will be very familiar if you play other competitive arena shooters except maybe Crystal Assault. In this mode, each team has a crystal that they must defend while also trying to destroy the other team’s crystal. I’ve had a lot of fights in this mode as I was super tight until the end with no final victor. Not all modes are immediately available. Again, you’ll need to unlock them by leveling up while playing in previous modes, starting with Team Deathmatch.
Season 1 of T3 Arena ended about two weeks ago and now we’re diving headlong into Season 2, Lights On. Season 1 was a brilliant introduction to the game, there was no shortage of content with 20 different heroes to choose from, 15 maps and 7 game modes including the ones mentioned above. Season 2 introduces another new hero named Yaa, an agility expert who uses the Gale pistol to literally blow her competition away with wind-based ammunition. Four new maps have also been introduced, including a new Temple Ruins map for Crystal Assault and Chinatown for Payload Race, designed to give players options for a more tactical approach. There have also been a few tweaks to some gameplay mechanics and modes to keep the gameplay more interesting.
T3 Arena really hits that sweet spot for mobile shooters. Compared to other mobile shooters like PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends Mobile (which I reviewed, read it here), and Call of Duty Mobile, the touch controls are simple. The controls can be adjusted to your personal preferences, but the default settings are so easy to use that I have not found any need to change the settings. What is immediately noticeable is that there is no ‘button’ to fire your weapon. Instead, your weapon will automatically fire when an enemy is in front of you. There’s a limit to this, of course, because if you’re using a closer-range weapon, like a shotgun, it won’t fire until the target is within the weapon’s effective range. You use the left side of your screen to move your character like any other mobile shooter and you use the right side to aim, and all your ‘skill’ buttons are also on the right side. Long-pressing a throwing object, such as a grenade, will allow you to move your finger to aim before releasing it, so you don’t accidentally waste it. You are in control.
What I find most interesting to see with T3 Arena is eSports. This game has huge potential in this area in my opinion. TapTap did host the TapTap All-Stars Tournament a while back, which had over 100k combined views, but I’d be very interested in bigger events around this title. If any mobile game could have a truly sustainable mobile eSports scene, it would be T3 Arena. There is already a large community around this game, including an active Discord server with thousands of members and over 1 million combined views in the content creator community.
I do have some minor reservations about the game. I really hope the developers will look at how characters respawn in Team Deathmatch mode. At this point, players respawn at their original starting location, which makes it very easy for a team to get spawn-camped for the rest of the game if overpowered by the enemy team. I feel like characters should respawn at random points on the map to prevent this from happening in the future. In objective modes like Crystal Assault and Payload Escort it makes sense to have a fixed spawn location, but Team Deathmatch is meant to be more fluid. I also wish I could switch characters during the game if the one I originally chose just doesn’t work for me.
There are also quite a few microtransactions, including things like loot boxes of different levels called Rumble Boxes, battle passes, virtual currencies called T-Gems, and skins, but thankfully they haven’t gone overboard with them and none of it is pay. to win. There is an in-game currency called T-Coins that can be used to buy Power Cores to level up your heroes faster, but you earn that currency as you play and you also get some from loot boxes you receive along the way. Aside from buying loot boxes where you can get some, you’re not buying your way to the top with T-Coins.
T3 Arena is a super fun and fast mobile arena shooter with huge potential, especially in eSports. The gameplay is very simple, smooth, tight and intense and the hero system with all its different characters to choose from keeps every match interesting. And unlike many mobile games, it isn’t plagued by pay-to-win systems.
PROS
- Easy to pick up and play even in limited time
- Hero system, many characters to choose from
- No pay to win
CONS
- Team Deathmatch respawn needs to be reworked
- Microtransactions galore
- Can’t switch characters mid-match
Cassie Peterson is an editor for Gaming Trend, as well as a sporadic content creator and an extremely average Rainbow Six Siege player. She goes through MzPanik on Twitter and Twitch and all gaming platforms.
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