This is just me throwing the thoughts in my head out to the world. I'm doing a bit of world building for The Condemned, an upcoming CCG that I have worked on for almost 2 years.
When humanity raced to the stars, Everyone looked up in wonder. There was opportunity around every corner, a chance at a new life, new worlds to explore! And, of course, new opportunities for criminal enterprises. As people branched out, so did every gang, thief, thug, and low life. As new governments set up on planets and moons, so did crime. Every good society needs a way to deal with the law breakers, right?
In 2354, a united council formed by a coalition of planetary governments founded the Solaris System Incarceration Protocol, or SSIP. It set standards and guidelines for the incarceration of criminals across all member planets. Smaller planets would coordinate with larger ones to ship their convicts to floating prisons in orbit. Out of sight, out of mind. At least, that's what the SSIP member governments thought.
There's a small problem with bureaucracy. Whenever you throw a bunch of hardened criminals in a confined space with all the time in the world, someone's bound to get hurt. Fights among rival factions became a daily occurrence. Underpaid and understaffed, the the guards stopped intervening, preferring to stay in the safety of their observation towers.
Eventually, someone got smart. Nobody knows if it was an inmate or a guard that suggested it, but someone suggested setting up an arena and letting people settle their differences there. A no holds barred, no rules, good old fashioned bloodbath. Two inmates enter, one inmate leaves. At first, SSIP member planets were horrified at realization that they were supporting the outright murder of the citizens in their care. But then they realized that this "thinning of the herd" would open space, remove the most undesirable parts of society, and provide some entertainment for the other prisoners. It only took 20 years to make the change. The Condemned Protocol was established in 2375. It allowed for inmates to craft weapons and armor from junk and refuse. The Condemned Protocol offered the people who survived fights little perks here and there for living another day. And for the truly sadistic, it was an opportunity to have a little fun at some poor soul's expense.
Prisons orbiting Callisto, Thebe, and Titan, all have their own arenas, their own star fighters, and plenty of new convicts looking to get their chance at respect and fame. Step into the arena, and claim your prize!