Twitch Streamer Shroud Comments on Cheaters in ARC Raiders

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Michael Grzesiek, better known as Shroud, a popular Twitch streamer and former pro player in games like Valorant and Counter-Strike, has publicly criticized the developers of ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, due to a significant cheating problem. Shroud has been a strong supporter of the game since its October release, but says he may stop playing if Embark doesn’t fix the issue within the next week or two.

Released in 2025, ARC Raiders quickly became a massive success, surpassing popular franchises like Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. While those established games had strong starts, ARC Raiders has impressively retained 91% of its initial player base on Steam, compared to an 85% drop for Battlefield 6. This success continued into 2026, with recent data from Alinea Analytics showing ARC Raiders reaching a peak of 3.2 million daily active players across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on January 4th. The game has also sold over 12 million copies in just two months.

Shroud Blasts Embark Over ARC Raiders Cheaters

Embark, the studio behind ARC Raiders, is facing criticism due to a growing problem with cheaters. Several popular streamers, including Shroud, have publicly asked the developers to address the issue, with Shroud stating they seem to have “zero control over their game.” While acknowledging the team may have been on holiday, Shroud questioned the point of continuing to play if significant improvements aren’t made within the next week or two. Like many online games, ARC Raiders is struggling with players who are unfairly disrupting raids.

Streamers like Shroud aren’t the only ones having their gameplay spoiled. Popular content creators such as TheBurntPeanut, TimTheTatMan, and Cloakzy are also getting increasingly annoyed by people watching their streams and then joining their games to gain an unfair advantage. Beyond that, regular players are also frustrated by glitches on maps like Stella Montis, where players are finding ways to cheat and unfairly eliminate others.

Shroud’s recent comments reveal his annoyance with the game, which is surprising considering how good ARC Raiders actually is. After winning the Best Multiplayer Game award at the 2025 Game Awards, people are starting to think Embark’s extraction shooter could be the next major hit. If Embark can effectively address cheating, consistently release valuable updates, and maintain game balance, ARC Raiders has a strong chance of lasting success. Shroud, despite his complaints, even thinks it could become more popular than Fortnite – a big statement, but one that highlights the game’s considerable potential.

Players are getting annoyed with weapons and items that are too strong, especially the Trigger Nade, which has become very popular recently. Many were hoping for an update this week to fix balance issues and bugs, but only a new set of items appeared in the store. Luckily, the developers at Embark have announced they’re working on an update for ARC Raiders that will weaken both the Stitcher and the Trigger Nade. While there’s no confirmed release date, the studio usually releases updates on Tuesdays, so it might arrive on January 13 – though this isn’t guaranteed.

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2026-01-08 13:34