Arena System
PassAudited by ClawScan on May 1, 2026.
Overview
Arena System appears to be a transparent local self-critique loop, with the main caution that adding it to HEARTBEAT.md creates repeated agent iterations that reuse saved local prompts and reports.
This skill looks safe to use as a local debate/reporting framework. Before installing, review the setup script, run it only in the directory you intend to use, and add the HEARTBEAT.md snippet only if you want repeated self-critique iterations. Treat the results as a helpful review aid rather than proof that a project is safe to deploy.
Findings (3)
Artifact-based informational review of SKILL.md, metadata, install specs, static scan signals, and capability signals. ClawScan does not execute the skill or run runtime probes.
The agent may spend tokens and time producing repeated critique reports until the configured limit is reached or the loop is disabled.
The heartbeat snippet creates a recurring local agent loop. It is disclosed and bounded by max_iterations, but it will continue running debate iterations on heartbeats once the user adds it.
### Her Heartbeat'te:
1. `state.json` oku → `active: true` mi?
2. Eğer aktifse: ... Yeni rapor yaz → `outputs/{role}/iteration_N.md` ...
3. `max_iterations`'a ulaşıldıysa `active: false` yapOnly add the heartbeat snippet if you want this recurring behavior, keep max_iterations low, and set active to false or remove the snippet when finished.
Incorrect or adversarial content in the arena files could influence future Agent or Anti-Agent reports.
The skill intentionally reuses saved state and prior outputs as context for future iterations. Those files can steer later agent behavior if they contain bad assumptions or are edited unexpectedly.
Read `state.json` → whose turn? ... Write to `outputs/{role}/iteration_N.md` ... Switch turns, save stateKeep the arena directory in a trusted location, review prompts and outputs before relying on them, and avoid mixing unrelated sensitive projects in the same arena state.
Running setup in a directory that already has arena files may replace state or prompt content.
The manual setup script creates directories and writes configuration and prompt files under the chosen arena directory. This is purpose-aligned, but it can overwrite existing arena files in that location.
ARENA_DIR="${1:-$HOME/clawd/arena}"
mkdir -p "$ARENA_DIR"/{outputs/agent,outputs/anti-agent,prompts}
cat > "$ARENA_DIR/state.json" << 'EOF'Review setup.sh before running it and use a fresh or backed-up target directory.