Actually it has nothing to do with Hearthstone's Arena mode. It's the Battlegrounds mode it has drawn inspiration from. However, while HS Battlegrounds requires 8 players to compete for the top 4 spots of the battle, this here is a simple 1v1 which does make things different as you have to closely counter what your opponent does, so this gives things a different spin.
RE: SPS Governance Proposal - Splinter Royale