ARC Raiders Devs Are Considering Changing Free Loadouts

by

A lead developer at Embark, the company that created The Finals and ARC Raiders, has shared that they’re looking into major changes to how players choose their starting gear in ARC Raiders. While the game has become surprisingly popular – even winning Best Multiplayer Game at the 2025 Game Awards – players have voiced concerns about the current free loadout system. Embark has acknowledged these complaints and is considering adjustments.

If you haven’t tried ARC Raiders, the popular game from 2025, you should know it has a unique system for starting raids. Players can choose a ‘free loadout’ which eliminates the risk of losing valuable gear, but puts them at a significant disadvantage. This loadout gives you basic weapons like the Ferro or Stitcher, limited healing, and a small inventory. While intended for players who are just starting out, many experienced players use it to avoid losing their good gear. They go into raids with nothing to lose, and can potentially win big rewards – all without risking any of their valuable items. It allows them to engage in player-versus-player combat with those who are using their best gear, knowing that even if they lose, they haven’t lost anything.

ARC Raiders Dev Comments on Possible Free Loadout Changes

New players will start with a free loadout that includes one of four weapons: the Ferro, Stitcher, Kettle, or Rattler. Most of these weapons – except for the Rattler – are surprisingly strong, with the Stitcher being comparable to rarer, more difficult-to-obtain weapons like the Bobcat. When GamesRadar+ asked Embark Studios if they were concerned these free weapons were too powerful, design lead Virgil Watkins said the team had discussed it. He explained that data shows players using free loadouts don’t actually gain a significant advantage in terms of profit compared to those using their own equipment. This is likely because players with free loadouts aren’t risking any resources. Ultimately, the data suggests free loadouts aren’t overperforming compared to players who bring their own gear.

Watkins explained that Embark will probably tweak the free starting gear system before making any changes to the weapons themselves. They’re considering adjustments to things like what items new players begin with, how much inventory space they have, or how much weight they can carry. These are the areas they’ll focus on initially, rather than adding stricter limits to the weapons.

Once the studio implements these changes, they’ll look at the starting weapons to see if any need tweaking. For example, the design lead explained that if a weapon like the Stitcher is too powerful right from the start, they’ll adjust it to be more balanced. However, they also want players who use the free starting gear and play skillfully to still be able to win matches.

Like many online games that are constantly updated, ARC Raiders will continue to be refined and improved over time. With over 300,000 players still enjoying the game on Steam daily, it’s clear ARC Raiders has a strong and active community. The developers, Embark, recently returned from a break and released a significant update called Headwinds, which includes a new map feature, player challenges, and other additions.

Players appreciate new updates, but they’re really hoping for significant new features. The recently added 1v3 matchmaking wasn’t well-received, as many in the community have been asking the developers at Embark to include challenging high-tier raids in ARC Raiders. The studio acknowledges these requests, but hasn’t confirmed whether raids will be added to the game.

Read More

2026-01-29 17:35