The race to make the next great extraction shooter continues apace. While Bungie takes its big swing with a Marathon revival, newer outfit Embark Studios has been quietly working on a competitor: Arc Raiders, a third-person PvPvE shooter with the bones of Escape From Tarkov, the approachability of Gears of War, and the keen architectural eye of Swedish game development.
This time last year, Marathon was the presumptive representative for the viability of big-budget extraction shooters going forward, but that balance shifted after an Arc Raiders tech test in May that was so fun it overshadowed the Marathon alpha happening at the same time. We have a proper extraction-off on our hands, folks.
That tech test was fun, but I want to see if Embark has any other surprises for the full release. Here’s everything we know right now about Arc Raiders, including its release window, format, setting, and how its whole direction changed mid-development.
What is Arc Raiders’ release date?
Arc Raiders has no firm release date yet, but Embark has announced it’s coming sometime in 2025. That said, there is reason to believe that news on Arc Raiders’ release date is imminent.
As fans discovered in a recent update to the Arc Raiders tech test, Embark seems to have hidden a link within the files to a countdown timer that ends on June 6. That’s the day of the Summer Game Fest livestream, so could this be another surprise release situation like Embark did with its previous game, The Finals?
Arc Raiders’ latest trailer
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The latest Arc Raiders trailer was timed around the recently wrapped Tech Test 2. It’s more of a mood piece than a gameplay demonstration, but you see glimpses of threats the Arc robots pose on maps, including a building-sized spider with a War of the Worlds-style deletion laser.
If you’d like to get a sense of how Arc Raiders plays, there’s no shortage of Tech Test gameplay on YouTube.
How Arc Raiders’ extraction gameplay works
If you’ve only ever heard the term “extraction shooter” and never gotten around to learning what it means, it goes like this in Arc Raiders: Players gear up with guns and gadgets from their personal stash of loot, then deploy into large maps full of other raiders and robots (PvPvE). Your goal is whatever you make of it. Often, you’ll have a quest from a trader to find a certain piece of loot or kill a number of bots, but you can also pick your own goals, like hunting for rare loot or going after other players.
However you spend it, a match lasts a total of 30 minutes. You can extract from the map at any time by using an elevator or hatch, but if you die in the field, all of your gear and loot are lost.
Progression comes by completing trader quests, but in Arc Raiders, you also gain XP just for playing, which contributes to a persistent skill tree. In the Tech Test, I focused on upgrading my stamina so I could sprint longer, climb faster, and stealth around buildings.
What is Arc Raiders’ setting?
Setting is usually the last thing on my mind in competitive shooters, but Arc Raiders’ conceit sets the stage nicely: In the aftermath of Earth’s invasion by a mysterious faction of murder bots that drove the remaining human population underground, you’re a raider living in the last city of Speranza. Raiders have the risky job of venturing to the surface to scavenge for food, supplies, and yes, rare shotguns.
I like that Embark is delivering on the threat of the ARC. They’re a constant presence in matches—flying drones patrolling around buildings, spherical flamethrower bots lying in wait in dark corners, sniper bots perched on the corners of skyscrapers.
Take on more than one at a time and you’re probably toast—or if you survive, you’ll have burnt precious healing items not easily replaced mid-mission. The ARC are best left alone, which gives Arc Raiders a stealthy flavor that sets it apart from Marathon and Tarkov (but will be recognizable to Hunt: Showdown vets). Open gunfire is rare as raiders try to get in and out of hot zones without drama.
Arc Raiders pivoted from co-op to PvP
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If you vaguely recall hearing about Arc Raiders a long time ago but don’t remember all this PvP stuff, you’re not imagining things. When Arc Raiders was announced way back at the 2021 Game Awards with a stunning trailer, it was a purely PvE co-op shooter.
I was excited for that version of Arc Raiders, but in 2023, Embark officially pivoted to extraction instead. Womp womp.
Also, there’s a chicken
Scrappy the Rooster is a dutiful companion who lives in Speranza and automatically scavenges raw materials while you’re out raiding. It’s thanks to him that you’ll always have enough basic materials to go into the match packing heat. It’s polite to think him before going anywhere.
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