Despite Being “Tired of PvP,” ARC Raiders Devs Reveal Why They Chose To Go Full Multiplayer

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The extraction shooter genre is often criticized for having too many similar and uninspired games, but ARC Raiders might just change that. Even though it’s another game in the same style, ARC Raiders genuinely feels like a significant improvement – a thrilling new release that aims to revitalize the entire genre.

Despite generating a lot of excitement over the past few years, it’s surprising that ARC Raiders still isn’t officially released as version 1.0. All the current enthusiasm has been based on beta versions, test sessions, and promotional videos, which means many players are already eagerly anticipating a game that hasn’t officially launched yet. It’s a bit unusual that so many people are completely captivated by a game still in development, built solely on these early glimpses.

Now that ARC Raiders is launching later this month, on October 30th, the creators have explained how they developed what many are calling one of the most promising extraction shooters in years. They’ve specifically described how the game evolved into a fully PvPvE extraction shooter.

Why ARC Raiders Decided To Go PvPvE

During a conversation with PCGamesN, the game’s creators explained the reasoning behind their approach to PvPvE combat. They originally designed the game as a purely PvE experience. However, they encountered some challenges that prompted a major change, leading them to embrace a full multiplayer format. This shift allowed them to explore new gameplay opportunities.

However, this shift towards including both player-versus-player and player-versus-environment elements is somewhat ironic, considering that ARC Raiders was originally developed because the core team had become “tired of PvP.” A large number of the developers working on ARC Raiders previously worked at DICE, and the project began as a means for them to move away from the intense demands of creating large-scale, AAA multiplayer shooters.

So, what prompted a development team-one that said they were weary of player-versus-player (PvP) game design-to build one of the most anticipated new multiplayer shooters?

Initially, Embark included co-op multiplayer in Arc Raiders. However, Aleksandr Grondal, a producer at the studio, stated that the game’s early focus on players versus environment (PvE) gameplay didn’t quite work as well as they’d expected, and the different elements didn’t consistently come together.

The foundation for ARC Raiders was solid – it had a great structure for a popular co-op shooter. However, it lacked that special something to make it truly exceptional; it was missing the unique quality that defines ARC Raiders today.

After a lot of discussion, the development team finally realized, “This game just isn’t fun.” This realization sparked a major change – a shift to PvPvE gameplay – which proved to be a turning point in the game’s development, bringing everything together. While this decision caused several years of delays, the final result is truly impressive.

Unfortunately, this update wasn’t without its critics, and it caused a significant change within the player community. Looking at posts from a few years back shows that opinions were quite divided, even though the developers felt this update was necessary.

Considering how well the recent tests went, it’s obvious that ARC Raiders needs its unique blend of player-versus-player and player-versus-environment gameplay – the core idea the team at Embark ultimately decided to keep. Everyone at Embark and the community are really looking forward to playing ARC Raiders and seeing what the team has created when it launches later this month.

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2025-10-03 22:39