Arena Breakout Infinite overtakes Escape from Tarkov in terms of Steam launch – without the dreaded Pay2Win.
Escape from Tarkov has just announced its 1.0 release for November 15 and, at the same time, promised a Steam launch, when the competition immediately comes around the corner.
And it’s coldly overtaking the top dog of extraction shooters: Arena Breakout Infinite will be coming to Steam two months earlier and has an extremely important change in store.
Soaring in the Steam wish lists
As the developers of the tactical shooter announced on X (formerly Twitter), Arena Breakout Infinite will be released as a “full release” on September 15, 2025 via Steam and the Epic Store.
Previously, you could only play via the manufacturer’s own launcher.
THE WAIT IS OVER! We’re ready for the full release on Steam & Epic Games on September 15! This version delivers a more complete extraction shooter experience, along with several milestone changes:
❌Direct Koen purchases have been removed
✅A free 3×3 Titanium Case will be… pic.twitter.com/VPPHI3BCqR— Arena Breakout Infinite (@ArenaBreakoutPC) September 2, 2025
The anticipation could hardly be greater: Arena Breakout Infinite ranks a surprisingly high 8th in the global Steam Wishlist Charts, right between Arc Raiders (7th place) and Dying Light: The Beast (9th place).
Meanwhile, Escape from Tarkov has not yet uploaded a Steam listing and therefore does not appear on any wish lists.
No more Pay2Win
With its full release on Steam and Epic, Arena Breakout Infinite remains a Free2Play game with microtransactions – but one key aspect that drew massive criticism for the shooter is changing: the dreaded Pay2Win system is finally history.
Until now, it was possible to buy the in-game currency Koen with real money and thus purchase all equipment such as protective clothing, weapons, ammunition, or grenades with a credit card. An absolutely fatal system.
That’s now a thing of the past: Koen’s purchases will be discontinued, the in-game economy will be optimized for greater fairness, and new progression and crafting systems will be integrated to prioritize invested playtime over invested money.
“Some high-level items will no longer be tradable on the marketplace – they can only be crafted at the workbench in the trophy room,” according to the manufacturer in the official
Hardcore, but not intimidating
Like Tarkov, Arena Breakout Infinite relies on a realistic modern military scenario and tough PvPvE combat, but a number of convenience features make it much more beginner-friendly and accessible than its infamous predecessor with its relentlessly steep learning curve.
Nevertheless, Arena Breakout retains essential aspects of the hardcore genre, including complex weapon crafting, minimalist HUD, detailed body simulation with wound care, stamina, hydration, and more.
With the Steam release, Season 3 will also feature three new weapons, 40 tactical items, a walk-in trophy room in the lobby/base, solo missions, and 4v4 Team Deathmatch mode.
