ARC Raiders Devs Explore How Enemy Intelligence Fuels Imagination

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Embark Studios’ shooter, ARC Raiders, has become surprisingly popular despite some ongoing issues with its player-versus-player combat. Even a month after launch, players are still discussing whether the game should add a mode focused solely on cooperative play against the environment. This debate suggests that ARC Raiders has something special to offer – a compelling core experience that would remain enjoyable even without other players around.

The final episode of Embark’s docuseries, ‘The Evolution of ARC Raiders,’ explores the creation of the game’s AI enemies. It details how these machines were designed to fit into the world and why the developers prioritized realistic behavior. Many players have wished for an optional PvP experience in ARC Raiders, but the satisfying experience of fighting the AI alone demonstrates that Embark successfully achieved its vision for the game’s enemies.

ARC Raiders’ Enemy AI Was Designed to Behave Like Real Machines

The design of ARC Raiders heavily relies on realistic physics, especially when it comes to how enemies move and act. In a recent video on the official ARC Raiders YouTube channel, the developers at Embark explained they wanted the machines to feel truly lifelike – almost as if players were fighting real robots. To achieve this, they formed a dedicated team early in development to investigate using cutting-edge robotics research. This allowed the enemies to move and react more independently than typical game AI, learning and adapting in ways similar to robots created by companies like Boston Dynamics, though still within the limitations of game development.

The machines in ARC Raiders are designed to learn, not just from their surroundings, but also from how players fight them. This means they’ll adapt to different situations, unlike in games where players learn an enemy’s patterns through repeated attempts. In ARC Raiders, the enemies will learn from you. For instance, if you disable a machine’s leg, it won’t just stand there – it will adjust and keep fighting to survive, much like a player would.

The Embark team worked incredibly hard to make the game’s machines feel lifelike, aiming to create a truly convincing battle experience for players.

During a recent discussion, creative director Stefan Strandberg highlighted a fascinating aspect of the game’s movement system: even when damaged, the machines instinctively try to get back up. This sparked the team’s imagination about self-preservation and how that could translate into a unique experience for players – essentially, playing against a truly resilient opponent. This resilience is built into the core of ARC Raiders, where the game world uses physics to feel actively resistant, rather than passively defeated, when challenged.

Image via Embark Studios

Players in ARC Raiders might not fully understand how everything works behind the scenes, but they immediately notice when an ARC enemy behaves in a surprising yet realistic way. For example, an ARC that doesn’t fall apart after losing an arm creates intense moments, making the game exciting even without fighting other players. This emphasizes that the world of ARC Raiders is dangerous on its own, beyond the player-versus-player combat. That’s why the developers at Embark focus so much on this aspect of the game, and likely why many players are eager to explore the world without the worry of being attacked by others.

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2025-12-06 00:06