“It’s Been Done to Death” ARC Raiders Director Comments on Possible Humanoid Enemies

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The director of ARC Raiders, Virgil Watkins, has stated that the team isn’t planning to add human-like enemies anytime soon. This is because ARC Raiders carefully introduces new enemies, and the developers at Embark Studios want to maintain game balance and avoid adding things too quickly, especially since the game focuses heavily on player-versus-environment (PvE) gameplay.

So, the team at Embark Studio has been pretty careful with what they add to ARC Raiders, but players like me keep asking for more enemy types – everything from huge, battleship-like Rocketeers to smaller, annoying flyers like the Tick. The thing everyone really wants, though, is robots that look and act like humans. Well, Joe Watkins just gave us an update on that, and honestly, it’s not what a lot of us were hoping for. Don’t expect any Terminator-style robots showing up anytime soon, it seems!

Humanoid Enemies Do Not Fit ARC Raiders Aesthetically, Game Director Says

In a recent PC Gamer interview, Virgil Watkins, the game director of ARC Raiders, explained why Embark Studios won’t be adding human-like enemies to the game. Watkins worries that if the ARC robots acted more like people, players would focus too much on their movements and actions, potentially ruining the game’s unique look. He also pointed out that it’s important players can easily tell the difference between a robot and another player in the game’s player-versus-player combat.

Image via Embark Studios

We get a lot more interesting gameplay and freedom with making a platform that’s purpose-built.

Watkins playfully noted that humanoid enemies similar to those in the Terminator films have been overused in video games, and he questions what new approach the studio could take with them. He explained that creating a unique platform for gameplay gives them more interesting possibilities and creative freedom, which is why they aren’t currently planning to develop human-like enemies for the game.

Fans Have Long Wondered About Humanoid ARC

Image via Embark Studios

From the beginning of development for ARC Raiders, players have speculated about enemies that could mimic human voices to trick them into traps. The idea was that these enemies could blend in during player-versus-player combat, especially in the game’s generally friendly lobbies, where players often rely on quick voice cues like “Don’t shoot” to avoid accidental conflict.

Those who favor the idea point out that the game already includes realistic android characters like Lance, and broken android bodies are found throughout the game world, such as in Stella Montis. Some quests even involve finding these deactivated machines. They believe adding enemies similar to Lance, but on the opposing side, would fit naturally into the existing game.

Image via Embark Studios

Honestly, most players, myself included, don’t think it’s gonna happen. What makes ARC Raiders cool is how the enemies feel like they belong in the world – they’re all about creatures that have adapted to their surroundings, kind of like animals or bugs, but with that cool retro-future look. Adding a straight-up robot enemy, especially one that’s basically a walking weapon like a Lance unit, would totally mess with that vibe and feel out of place.

Even though the game’s creator, Watkins, has said we won’t see human-like enemies anytime soon, ARC Raiders will still get new threats. The next update, Shrouded Sky, will add a new robot enemy and introduce the challenging Hurricane weather conditions. Some players think a recent preview showed off this quick, ground-based robot, but that hasn’t been officially confirmed. Fortunately, we’ll find out for sure when Shrouded Sky releases on February 24th.

In March, ARC Raiders will get a big update called Flashpoint, adding a new enemy type. Then, in April, a massive new ARC threat – comparable in scale and danger to the existing Matriarch and Queen – will be introduced to the game.

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2026-02-21 22:04