"Back in the day" I suggested that FDEV should announce, via GalNet, periodic "Olympic" games. Each event would be held in different star systems, at different times of the year. There could be a series of "challenges" that pitted pilots against each other .. eg: pvp arena (like you suggested), or a PvE run the gauntlet (fly through some really unsafe areas), or run circuits passing beacons in space, races, communal leader boards, prizes, cosmetics, etc. the list is rather large. All hosted in open (for the added drama) as a means to bring the community together for a bit of fun and games. (Seasonal events - like January Lave Independence Day games, March Madness - Derby destructoWars in the Orion Sector, or what have you)
Still waiting ...
**Edit: Heck, even "The Universal Triathlon Games" - A race, starting in your ship going from Beacon to Beacon, then landing on a planet, to drive across in your SRV, to finally end up on foot retrieving some object that stops the timer .. come on FDEV - the possibilities are endless ...