ARC Raiders vil teste en PvE-veksler fra 13. til 20. oktober

Embark Studios is preparing a limited test of a PvE matchmaking toggle for ARC Raiders. From October 13 to October 20, 2026, players will be able to choose between the standard PvPvE experience and a PvE mode where the focus is entirely on cooperating with other Raiders against the ARC.

Why Embark is doing this

The studio acknowledged that the idea has an ironic history. Seven years ago, ARC Raiders was conceived as a co-op PvE raiding game with loot mechanics. That concept ran into serious problems, so the team rebooted the project into the PvPvE extraction shooter that launched. After release, though, the game attracted a much broader audience than extraction fans alone, and a large share of that audience prefers to avoid fighting other players.

Embark shared a breakdown of its player base by preferred playstyle:

• 37% are friendly, co-op-oriented players, and this group has grown steadily since launch
• 27% are mixed players
• 34% are PvP-focused players, a share that has stayed stable since launch

According to the studio, more than 70% of friendly players and 40% of PvP players said they want fewer hostile encounters, and 51% of surveyed players are interested in a separate PvE option. The developers also pointed to recurring frustration with ratting and camping, as well as friendly players going out of their way to avoid PvP altogether. Embark said it wants to support this part of the community properly instead of forcing it to work around the game's design.

How the PvE toggle will work

• Player damage will be completely disabled in PvE sessions
• Solos, duos and trios can all play in the same PvE session
• Switching between modes is meant to be simple, so players can jump between a relaxed PvE run and a high-tension PvPvE raid
• Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate will not be available in PvE, since these conditions are built around uncertainty about encountering other players
• PvPvE matchmaking rating will not change while playing PvE
• Once the test ends, the toggle will be removed and matchmaking will return to normal

Differences in the PvE experience

Players in PvE will still be able to gather resources, complete quests and explore without the threat of hostile Raiders, but with a few trade-offs. Overall loot value will be lower to offset the added safety. The ARC will also be more dangerous to downed players: if you crawl while knocked down, enemies can target you again, but they will ignore you if you stay still. Embark says this is meant to keep some tension in place of the missing PvP threat.

The developers stressed that the goal of the test is not to make PvE harder or to trial a new progression system. It is simply about giving players an alternative to player encounters.

What happens next

Embark was clear that this test is not a promise of a permanent PvE mode. The system may not work out, and if it does return, it could look very different from the beta version. The studio will review feedback and data during and after the test, and plans to share its conclusions and next steps some time after it ends.

The test also overlaps with the launch window of the Frozen Trail update, and Embark invited players to share feedback on both the PvE toggle and the new content.