diff --git a/Game/shaders/nebula_dust.gdshader b/Game/shaders/nebula_dust.gdshader
index 665a3714..912ec271 100644
--- a/Game/shaders/nebula_dust.gdshader
+++ b/Game/shaders/nebula_dust.gdshader
@@ -7,8 +7,16 @@ uniform vec3 core_bias_color : source_color = vec3(1.0, 0.6, 0.85);
 uniform float core_bias_amount : hint_range(0.0, 1.0) = 0.35;
 uniform float emission_strength : hint_range(0.0, 5.0) = 2.5;
 uniform float soft_fade_distance : hint_range(0.0, 5.0) = 1.0;
+// Arena play volume (world space) this weather effect must stay clear of —
+// see ArenaBoundary.INNER_HALF_X/INNER_HALF_Z/INNER_HEIGHT. Dust is fully
+// hidden inside that box and fades in over arena_clear_distance beyond it,
+// so it reads as drifting around the station rather than through the pitch.
+uniform vec3 arena_half_extents = vec3(12.0, 6.0, 18.0);
+uniform vec3 arena_centre = vec3(0.0, 6.0, 0.0);
+uniform float arena_clear_distance : hint_range(0.0, 10.0) = 2.0;
 
 varying float v_flicker;
+varying float v_arena_fade;
 
 void vertex() {
 	// true billboard: strip rotation from the per-instance modelview, keep translation + scale
@@ -22,6 +30,14 @@ void vertex() {
 	float seed = INSTANCE_CUSTOM.x;
 	float flicker_hash = fract(sin((seed + floor(TIME * 6.0)) * 127.1) * 43758.5453);
 	v_flicker = 0.85 + 0.15 * flicker_hash;
+
+	// MODEL_MATRIX's translation column is this particle's world-space
+	// origin (pre-billboard, so unaffected by the VERTEX rewrite above).
+	// Chebyshev (box) distance outside arena_half_extents, in metres.
+	vec3 particle_pos = MODEL_MATRIX[3].xyz;
+	vec3 outside = abs(particle_pos - arena_centre) - arena_half_extents;
+	float outside_dist = max(max(outside.x, outside.y), outside.z);
+	v_arena_fade = smoothstep(0.0, arena_clear_distance, outside_dist);
 }
 
 void fragment() {
@@ -35,7 +51,7 @@ void fragment() {
 	vec4 tex = texture(albedo_tex, UV);
 	ALBEDO = tex.rgb * mix(vec3(1.0), core_bias_color, core_bias_amount);
 	EMISSION = core_bias_color * tex.rgb * emission_strength * 0.15;
-	ALPHA = tex.a * COLOR.a * mask;
+	ALPHA = tex.a * COLOR.a * mask * v_arena_fade;
 
 	float raw_depth = texture(depth_tex, SCREEN_UV).r;
 	vec3 ndc = vec3(SCREEN_UV * 2.0 - 1.0, raw_depth);
diff --git a/Game/shaders/nebula_dust.gdshader.uid b/Game/shaders/nebula_dust.gdshader.uid
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26471682
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Game/shaders/nebula_dust.gdshader.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://b6p22qfcd7qmt