There'd have to be at least some way to potentially avoid it

There is. The same way you avoid all attacks. Tractor Beams still have attack rolls and are still fired from firing arcs.

Actually, there will soon be a new one.

Ketsu Onyo (Pursuit Craft): At the start of the combat phase, you may choose a ship at range 1. If it is inside your primary AND mobile firing arcs, assign 1 tractor bean token to it.

This is going to be the Heavy Tractor Beam token that doesn't go away at the end of the round, as well. If Ketsu can tag someone at R1 with both arcs, they won't ever lose that TB token until one of those ships are blown up! Well, or target changed. That's pretty cool because even if she bumps someone, she can get them. If you can plan it, use Conner Net, or Ion Bomb, you can get one of those arc dodgers in R1 of your front arc.

If it is what I think it is, the Torp doesn't attack ships but rather affects an open area like a bomb using an obstacle token.

The article does specifically reference changing the shape of the battlefield, no? This could well be what they're talking about.

Here's my stab at it. If it works this way, you can choose a friendly ship as the anchor point around which all enemies must roll for damage. I was thinking "Secondary Torpedoes" at first, but it didn't seem to fit the text spacing.

Seeker
Torpedoes

Action: Discard this card
to choose another ship at
Range 1-2 that is within your
primary firing arc. Each ship at
Range 1 of that xxx ship rolls
1 attack die and suffers all
damage [ * ] and critical damage
[@] rolled. You may not attack
again this round.

If it is what I think it is, the Torp doesn't attack ships but rather affects an open area like a bomb using an obstacle token.

The article does specifically reference changing the shape of the battlefield, no? This could well be what they're talking about.

That line in the article bugged me so much. "Will literally change the shape of the battlefield..." So, what, we're going to be playing on pentagonal playmats because of these upgrades? I hate when people use "literally" when they clearly mean "figuratively."

Wouldn't it be fun if it removed Obstacle tokens instead of being an attack?

Oh, and these images have been wrong, from time to time. No reason for it to be fixed in post to say Attack.

After all, 2 TB or not 2 TB.