ARC Raiders – the free-to-play PvPvE extraction shooter from The Finals developer Embark Studios – has resurfaced following an extended period of retooling, and is now launching as a premium title for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 next year .
If you’re struggling to remember much about ARC Raiders, that might be because few details have been shared since its announcement back in 2021. It was originally set to release in 2022, but its launch has continued to slip since then – first into 2023 so Embark could focus on The Finals, and latterly while the studio continued to tinker with the title following a genre change.
But it turns out its switch from co-operative third-person shooter to PvPvE extraction shooter (its original form “wasn’t really fun”, Embark admitted during a recent press event) wasn’t to be ARC Raiders’ only notable change. It’s now been re-announced as a $40 USD premium title – jettisoning its previous free-to-play form, albeit while still remaining a live-service game.
Storywise, ARC Raiders catapults players into a “post-post-apocalyptic” future where humanity has fled underground to escape the ARC machines roaming the world’s surface. However, resources found up top remain in high demand, which is where players – cast as a Raiders – come in. It’s up to you and your squad (Arc Raiders can be played alone or in teams of up to three) to explore the world above – visiting one of its multiple large-scale maps each run – and gather resources. Success requires fencing off ARC machines and other squads of players to make it back to the underground colony of Speranza alive.
Failure results in the loss of all items gathered during a mission (with some exceptions), but success means players can trade their loot and valuables with Speranza’s locals. Speranza also serves as a hub where quests can be gathered, player’s chambers can be upgraded and expanded, and their characters can be evolved to suit their preferred playstyle.
“Whether teaming up or going alone, it’s a game that rewards thinking ahead and carefully observing the world around you, rather than running into blazing action guns,” Embark says of its reworked shooter. “The gameplay is tactile, visceral, and grounded, with a rich and playful sandbox of gadgets and tools, beyond just guns and ammo.”
Talking to press during its ARC Raiders re-reveal, Embark wouldn’t be drawn on what these “gadgets and tools” might be, but hinted at things like the zipline featured in its new trailer aren’t just there for show. The studio also isn’t quite ready to talk social features yet, choosing to sidestep a question inquiring about the likes of clans and guilds, but it has teased some of its post-launch live-service plans, saying players can expect existing areas of the world to expand and evolve over time, with brand-new areas set to be introduced too.
This new premium PvPvE iteration of ARC Raiders is set to get its first public Tech Test on Steam from 24th-27th October – and interested parties can sign up now. The full game will be available on Steam, Epic, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S when it launches next year.
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