i tried playing the arena and it's honestly...pretty frustrating. bot enemies consistently do 20-30 damage to my team which can only dish out 6-8 aside from crits. even trying to work around synergies doesn't seem to do anything to help me. is there a guide for the arena at all, or at least some tips for it? and why does it feel like the bots are insanely strong?

This is a beginner's guide: Arena - A Newbie's Guide and a more in-depth guide: Arena - Advanced Guide that might help!

What I've found helps me get through arena is noting what combinations work for the bots or other players (when they're in) and use those as reference for future team builds. Positioning of your team (front line placement versus back line) is also pretty important, as some are a lot more squishy than others. It can also help to reference the attacks wolves and companions do, which can be seen on a wolf's profile or, for companions, checking the companion page.

There is also a Team Builder, which is a Google Doc that has a drop-down menu for all wolf breeds & companions that will show you their abilities, as well as the team's synergy.

I think practicing would help most of all, and taking a look at the above linked guides.

edited for spelling