ARC Raiders Dev Acknowledges ‘Strong Appetite’ for PvE Content

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The community for ARC Raiders is still passionately discussing whether the game should focus more on player-versus-environment (PvE) or player-versus-player (PvP) combat, but a developer at Embark Studios has confirmed there’s a lot of interest in PvE content. ARC Raiders originally began as a purely PvE experience, similar to games like Helldivers 2 and Deep Rock Galactic. However, the developers later added PvP elements, which have likely contributed to the game’s popularity over the past five months.

Many games combine cooperative play against enemies (PvE) with player-versus-player combat (PvP), and ARC Raiders is no exception. However, the game has unexpectedly split its player base into two groups: those focused on fighting the AI-controlled ARC threat, and those who prefer battling other players. While Embark states a balanced number of players enjoy both aspects, the game’s matchmaking system, which prioritizes aggressive encounters, aims to group players who want to fight each other with similar players. Though Embark admits a completely peaceful experience isn’t possible, this matchmaking is a major factor driving the division between the PvE and PvP communities.

ARC Raiders Dev Says There’s a “Strong Appetite” for PvE Content

Many players think the main goal for Embark Studios with ARC Raiders is creating a cooperative, player-versus-environment (PvE) experience, especially since the game originally focused solely on that. Recent events, like the ‘Shared Watch’ event which rewarded teamwork, have reinforced this idea. While some players who enjoy player-versus-player (PvP) combat feel overlooked, Embark Studios’ design director, Virgil Watkins, shared with Pocket Tactics that players are very enthusiastic about the PvE content currently available. He noted the high level of engagement with these PvE features.

The game’s developer was surprised by how much players enjoyed the cooperative, story-driven parts of ARC Raiders, and this is now shaping future content updates. They haven’t forgotten about players who prefer competitive player-versus-player combat, though. Embark Studios plans to release new cooperative experiences alongside updates to gameplay, maps, and competitive modes. The team intentionally balances these two styles of play, as ARC Raiders is built around the idea that players can both cooperate and compete within the same game world, creating a sense of tension and unpredictability.

Embark, the studio behind ARC Raiders, has repeatedly stated its intention to add more challenging PvE content. Earlier this year, they mentioned plans to increase the difficulty of enemies. Now that players are easily defeating the game’s two biggest threats, the Queen and Matriarch, Embark wants to introduce even larger and more difficult enemies. They’ve also realized players are cooperating across entire servers to defeat bosses faster than expected, resulting in too little loot for everyone.

This week, Embark is launching the Flashpoint update for ARC Raiders, bringing a new map condition, a new enemy type called ARC, improvements to the Scrappy character, and allowing the Shredder to venture outside of Stella Montis. Players who enjoy the player-versus-environment aspects of the game will be excited to learn that April’s Riven Tides update will introduce a massive new ARC enemy, likely even more dangerous than the Queen or Matriarch.

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2026-03-30 16:04