ARC Raiders Dev Says Late Spawning Has an Upside

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A developer from Embark, the team that created The Finals and ARC Raiders, recently explained the benefit of joining a raid late in ARC Raiders. While ARC Raiders has been popular, players have expressed some frustrations. One common complaint is that starting a raid with only 17 minutes remaining can negatively impact the experience, but Embark believes there’s a reason for this and it can actually be advantageous.

Similar to other games where you collect loot, ARC Raiders centers around finding the best gear, items, and weapons. Players can choose to fight other players (PvP), which will match them into lobbies with more PvP action. Alternatively, they can team up with others to defeat AI enemies like the Queen and Matriarch. However, many players find it frustrating to join a raid already in progress. While the community shares this concern, the developers at Embark believe there’s a benefit to it.

Embark Acknowledges Frustrations Around Spawning Late in ARC Raiders

Now that 2026 is underway, players are excited to learn what’s next for ARC Raiders. Although Embark Studio hasn’t shared a detailed plan for the coming year, they are listening to player feedback, and recently addressed concerns about raids starting too late in the day. In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, design lead Virgil Watkins explained that the team is aware players are frustrated when they don’t have enough time to complete trials after a late raid spawn. He acknowledged this is a negative experience and that the team is discussing how to improve it, noting a difference between what the data shows and how players perceive the issue.

Watkins points out that many players immediately worry about missing out on loot when joining a raid late, but those are often the players who end up benefiting the most. He also explains that as a game ages, it naturally becomes less crowded, which means new players can often find leftover resources or tackle more challenging content more easily than those who have been playing for a longer time.

So, the team explained why you can join raids a little late. Basically, they didn’t want raids to get totally cleared out after just ten minutes, leaving everyone wandering around bored and with no real threat. They’re hoping if you jump in late, you’ll think, ‘Okay, Plan A is out the window, time to switch to Plan B or C!’ And don’t worry about loot – they’ve made sure there’s plenty of it in ARC Raiders. They’ve really thought about where everything spawns to make sure everyone has something to go for.

Embark recognizes players are unhappy with how long it takes for enemies to appear, but doesn’t plan to overhaul that system. On a brighter note, they’re listening to other feedback! They’re considering letting players save their gear setups for quicker preparation between raids, as they know setting up new equipment takes time. They’ve also heard requests for a central social area, like the Tower in Destiny 2, and are exploring the idea, though they know some players aren’t keen on it.

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2026-01-21 17:35