diff --git a/PLAYTEST_NOTES.md b/PLAYTEST_NOTES.md
index 0a51a10c..8fcd50b7 100644
--- a/PLAYTEST_NOTES.md
+++ b/PLAYTEST_NOTES.md
@@ -1992,3 +1992,26 @@ Vite's existing large-chunk advisory remains informational.
   eight-heading pixel comparisons, profiles, before/after timing JSON, and
   screenshots. Measurements use the same desktop Edge/RX 9070 XT setup as the
   preceding audit. These CPU improvements do not certify Thor performance.
+
+# 2026-09-09 — bundled arena assets blocked by the browser content worker
+
+- Reproduced the reported collision-matched fallback in the production build
+  with the content worker active. Warnorken's `visual.glb?arena-runtime=1`
+  returned 404 even though the file was bundled and directly served with 200.
+  The worker omitted `/assets/game/arenas/` from its bundled asset prefixes and
+  incorrectly rejected these files as uninstalled optional content.
+- Added the arena prefix to the worker. Installed updates still take priority;
+  missing optional dungeon content still returns 404. Behavioral worker tests
+  failed for all eight arenas before the fix and now cover visual, collision,
+  and navigation requests with the runtime query parameter.
+- The production build passed. Reloading the same browser session activated
+  the fixed worker without clearing storage or downloading content. Warnorken
+  rendered textured stone geometry and Nagrand rendered its authored arena
+  geometry; neither showed the loading/fallback banner after loading, and no
+  new console errors were recorded. Checks used offline practice in the Codex
+  browser at `http://127.0.0.1:4174/`, backed by a local test server on port 4173.
+- All 22 content tests and the eight-arena asset validator passed. Screenshots,
+  before/after error logs, asset validation, and build output are saved under
+  `playtest-artifacts/2026-09-09-arena-loading/`. The existing large-bundle
+  advisory remains. This verifies the local browser build, not a deployment
+  or an Android package.
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index a7133fa0..9c9abb21 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "healer-man",
-  "version": "0.1.26",
+  "version": "0.1.27",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "healer-man",
-      "version": "0.1.26",
+      "version": "0.1.27",
       "dependencies": {
         "@capacitor/android": "8.4.1",
         "@capacitor/core": "8.4.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 664fd217..0c6d20a6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "healer-man",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "0.1.26",
+  "version": "0.1.27",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite --host 0.0.0.0",
diff --git a/public/content-cache-sw.js b/public/content-cache-sw.js
index dada0253..d589f852 100644
--- a/public/content-cache-sw.js
+++ b/public/content-cache-sw.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const BUNDLED_ASSET_PREFIXES = [
   "/assets/characters/wow335a-v1/manifest.json",
   "/assets/characters/wow335a-v1/human/",
   "/assets/creatures/wailing-caverns/",
+  "/assets/game/arenas/",
   "/assets/game/dungeons/wailing-caverns/",
 ];
 const BUNDLED_ASSET_PATHS = new Set([
diff --git a/release-version.json b/release-version.json
index 76128d0f..d0b3d983 100644
--- a/release-version.json
+++ b/release-version.json
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 {
-  "versionName": "0.1.26",
-  "versionCode": 1026
+  "versionName": "0.1.27",
+  "versionCode": 1027
 }
diff --git a/src/content/contentCacheWorker.test.ts b/src/content/contentCacheWorker.test.ts
index f394fdb7..f6324286 100644
--- a/src/content/contentCacheWorker.test.ts
+++ b/src/content/contentCacheWorker.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { runInNewContext } from "node:vm";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { ARENA_STAGES } from "../game/arenaStages";
 import { BROWSER_CONTENT_CACHE_NAME } from "./contentManager";
 
 const workerSource = readFileSync(
@@ -7,7 +9,61 @@ const workerSource = readFileSync(
   "utf8",
 );
 
+function contentWorker(cached?: Response) {
+  const handlers = new Map<string, (event: unknown) => void>();
+  const fetch = vi.fn(async () => new Response("bundled arena", { status: 200 }));
+  const match = vi.fn(async () => cached);
+  runInNewContext(workerSource, {
+    self: {
+      location: { origin: "https://healer.test" },
+      addEventListener: (type: string, handler: (event: unknown) => void) => handlers.set(type, handler),
+    },
+    caches: { open: async () => ({ match }) },
+    fetch,
+    URL,
+    Response,
+  });
+  return {
+    fetch,
+    match,
+    request: (path: string) => {
+      let response: Promise<Response> | undefined;
+      handlers.get("fetch")!({
+        request: new Request(new URL(path, "https://healer.test")),
+        respondWith: (value: Promise<Response>) => { response = value; },
+      });
+      return response;
+    },
+  };
+}
+
 describe("browser content cache worker", () => {
+  it.each(ARENA_STAGES)("loads bundled $name assets without an optional content install", async (stage) => {
+    const worker = contentWorker();
+    for (const asset of stage.assets) {
+      const response = await worker.request(`${asset.url}?arena-runtime=1`);
+      expect(response?.status).toBe(200);
+      expect(await response?.text()).toBe("bundled arena");
+    }
+    expect(worker.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(stage.assets.length);
+  });
+
+  it("prefers installed arena updates over bundled files, ignoring the runtime query", async () => {
+    const worker = contentWorker(new Response("updated arena"));
+    const response = await worker.request(`${ARENA_STAGES[0].assets[0].url}?arena-runtime=1`);
+    expect(await response?.text()).toBe("updated arena");
+    expect(worker.match).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.any(Request), { ignoreSearch: true });
+    expect(worker.fetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("still blocks optional dungeon assets that have not been installed", async () => {
+    const worker = contentWorker();
+    const response = await worker.request("/assets/game/manastorm/optional/visual.glb");
+    expect(response?.status).toBe(404);
+    expect(await response?.text()).toBe("Optional content is not installed.");
+    expect(worker.fetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("serves only cached same-origin asset requests from the active content cache", () => {
     expect(workerSource).toContain(`const CONTENT_CACHE_NAME = "${BROWSER_CONTENT_CACHE_NAME}";`);
     expect(workerSource).toContain('request.method !== "GET"');