ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter. This subgenre combines elements of both PvP (player versus player) and PvE (player versus environment) gameplay, also known as PvPvE. Well-known examples of the genre include Escape from Tarkov by Battlestate, due for full release in mid-November, and Hunt: Showdown 1896 by Crytek. Other examples include Gray Zone Warfare by Madfinger Games and the cute, duck-heavy single-player game Escape from Duckov. Ubisoft's The Division also incorporates the concept in the Dark Zone. Extraction shooters are often considered too complex and tense for the mass market, but ARC Raiders stands out because it is more accessible thanks to its clever design, outstanding interface and user-friendly approach, as demonstrated in the introductory tutorial mission.

In ARC Raiders, players can enter a map or level either alone or as part of a team of up to three people. To keep their rewards, they must collect loot and complete tasks before reaching an extraction zone successfully. Enemies may be lurking in the extraction zone, which becomes visible when players reach it. If a player dies before reaching the extraction zone, they lose all their equipment, including the loot and equipment collected during that mission, as well as the equipment they started with. This risk creates the tension and characteristic thrill of the genre. Additionally, players who meet in the game world can support each other and form temporary alliances, even if they are not in the same group. Alternatively, players may fight each other, but this is risky as such battles are loud and attract attention.

ARC Raiders 2025 Roadmap; © Embark Studios, Nexon

These emergent situations are unique and highly impressive. Consequently, there is comparatively little shooting in ARC Raiders compared to other shooters. This is particularly true given that ARC Raiders features not only human opponents, but also robotic ones lurking on the map. These AI opponents are relatively strong and behave quite well. They are also a threat, so it is important to act tactically — this applies whether you are dealing with human or robotic opponents (E-Motes can also help here). Depending on how the other players behave, the game's runs can be very exciting and intense. Being defeated is all part of the game, so solo players are not necessarily at a disadvantage, and ARC Raiders is more generous than the competition in this respect as it allows players to return to the field with a standard loadout.

In this game, players navigate a dangerous, futuristic world in third-person view. The audiovisual design is exceptional, especially the soundscape, which elevates the sense of immersion. It can certainly hold its own against Battlefield 6. Surface missions/runs generally last less than 30 minutes, and the longer they continue, the more extraction points become inactive. World activities offering extra rewards are also scattered around each of the four current maps, and players can learn more about the world through the Codex.

Between runs, players can find refuge in Speranza, a safe haven where they can upgrade their equipment, expand their workshop stations, and accept tasks. However, rather than being an open-world hub teeming with player characters, Speranza is a cleverly designed, highly accessible menu system.

Progress is divided into two categories: equipment and skills. These are managed between runs. Players can use collected and dismantled loot to build more advanced gear and equipment, such as advanced weapon mods or unique gadgets, at workshop stations. These stations can also be upgraded. The game offers a wide variety of weapons, ranging from automatic rifles to shotguns and energy weapons. These can be customised by adding attachments or upgrading them at the workshop. There are also gadgets that make survival and traversal easier, such as a Lure Grenade (to trick the ARCs), ziplines, mines and door blockers. Finally, shields and augments are important for customising the playstyle. Shields negate incoming damage, though the more effective ones reduce mobility. Augments can be used to increase carrying capacity and shield compatibility. Some augments have additional perks.

Players can invest experience points into a skill tree with three distinct specialisations: Conditioning, Survival, and Mobility. This enables them to customise their playstyle further, for example by looting faster, moving more quietly or enhancing their strength and stamina. While loot and equipment can be lost permanently during runs, progress in the skill tree is permanent. Experience can be obtained by killing opponents, securing loot, completing missions and extracting; naturally, this is proportional to the team's contribution.

Unfortunately, ARC Raiders does not currently offer a PvE-only alternative for players who are not interested in PvP elements, even though the game world and good AI opponents would be ideal for this. It is unclear whether Embark Studios will add this option, but if they do, they will need to find a way to separate progress; otherwise, PvE players will have to venture into the PvPvE combat zone with their potentially valuable equipment and risk losing it all again. Alternatively, players could lose everything in PvE missions. In any case, such an option would be a very good fit. Only time will tell what the future holds, but we can already look forward to a new map, additional map conditions, new events, items and quests in the coming weeks.

ARC Raiders is the second game from Embark Studios in Sweden. Founded in November 2018 by Magnus Nordin, Rob Runesson, Stefan Strandberg, Patrick Söderlund, Jenny Huldschiner and Johan Andersson, the studio has already made a name for itself. Söderlund was previously the managing director of DICE, later becoming head of EA Worldwide Studios. The studio employs over 300 developers, many of whom are former DICE staff. In their self-description, they state: "But as our industry has grown, creativity has shrunk, and today our industry is divided. On one side, indie developers take risks and push the limits, while large AAA-giants play it safe. Sequels, remakes, and franchises dominate, while fresh ideas struggle for space. The result: less surprise, less discovery, less wonder. Embark Studios was founded to do something about this. We try to pair the innovation-mindset of an underdog with AAA ambition." Embark Studios is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexon.

Embark's debut game was The Finals, a fast-paced, physics-driven, free-to-play multiplayer shooter featuring large, destructible arenas. Released in late 2023, it reached a peak of 242,619 concurrent users (CCU) on Steam. ARC Raiders is their second game.

ARC Raiders was released on 30 October 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Although it is an online multiplayer game, there were few server issues during the launch period, despite the fact that the number of concurrent users on Steam alone regularly exceeded 300,000. The game attracted an even greater number of active users on the second weekend after its launch on Steam: an increase of 100,000 users, rising from 354,836 to 462,488. Pretty impressive.

"In its first week after launch, ARC Raiders streams racked up over 35.6 million hours watched, making it the most successful game debut of 2025 in terms of viewership. The game’s high viewership was also boosted by Twitch Drops, which allowed viewers to earn exclusive emotes and keychains simply by watching streams." (Streamscharts)

The game is available in two editions: the Standard Edition, priced at €39.99, and the Deluxe Edition, priced at €59.99 and including cosmetic items and 2,400 Raider Tokens (the in-game currency for cosmetic items). According to market researchers at Alinea Analytics, the game sold over 2.5 million copies in its first week, generating revenues of over $100 million, despite being released between Battlefield 6, Battlefield Redec and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, as well as the final version of Escape from Tarkov. Alinea reports that 69.2% of players are on Steam, 17.3% on PlayStation and 13.5% on Xbox.

Conclusion

Thanks to its outstanding design, ARC Raiders offers an incredibly gripping and intense gaming experience, opening up the extraction shooter genre and making it more accessible to a wider audience. It's a real highlight!