Divinity Original Sin 2 is getting a revamped Arena Mode for turn-based battling

Developer Larian has announced that its majestic RPG Divinity Original Sin 2 will include a revamped Arena Mode when it comes to Xbox One and PS4 in its thoroughly reworked Definitive Edition guise at the end of August.

Arena mode, as you might imagine, ditches the narrative of the core game to concentrate on letting players run around and bop things (and each other) on the head via the splendours of turn-based combat. It was included in Divinity Original Sin 2's first iteration when it launched on PC last September, but returns in even fancier form with the Definitive Edition.

This new version features options for solo play, online multiplayer PvP, and a special pass-the-controller Hot Seat mode. It also introduces 16 characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities, including the likes of Malady, Zandalor, and Radeka.

Arena Mode features two different variants - Classic Deathmatch and Kill the King (in which each team must ensure a specific VIP remains alive) - and these will be playable across 13 maps. These include five brand-new arenas, and each features three chest types to loot during play, rewarding destruction scrolls, control scrolls, and spells.

Additionally, Arena Mode now features Mutators, which can completely alter the flow of battle with each new round. According to Larian, Mutator effects can range from granting players wings (so they can travel longer distances) to placing all participants in a sudden death state, reducing health to an absolute minimum.

Divinity Original Sin 2's Definitive Edition features plenty more besides the newly revamped Arena Mode, however. As Larian outlined in June, the extensive update - which will be made available to existing PC players for free - includes big changes to the narrative toward the end of the game and a new tutorial at the start of the experience.

It also brings better balanced combat (as well as brand-new and overhauled fight encounters, including the Kraken), performance enhancements, and a new Story Mode, designed for players "who want to focus on the dialogue, reactivity and atmosphere".

There's also a new quest involving murderous squirrels ("There are rumours that an apocalyptic cult of squirrels, the Knights of Drey, are trying to bring about the end of the world by summoning the Great Acorn", explains Larian) as a pre-order bonus on consoles. PC players will get this automatically if they own the game prior to the Definite Edition's launch.

Divinity Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition comes to PS4 and Xbox One on August 31st, and as a free update to the original version of the game on PC.

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