ARC Raiders has no business being as good as it is, or at least as good as what I've played so far. After participating in two betas and seeing the amount of work and effort the studio has put into the product when it comes to polishing the experience, I can't get anything but hyped.
Embark Studios has already master-crafted one experience with The Finals. A blistering, destruction-heavy arcade shooter that doesn't leave a moment to breathe.
ARC Raiders challenges you to steady yourself for the chaos ahead, while moment-to-moment action will leave you similarly unsettled to The Finals. Do you have what it takes to out-strategize a world looking to annihilate you?
What is ARC Raiders?
What is ARC Raiders?
ARC Raiders is an extraction multiplayer shooter set in the future. Earth's surface has been taken over by an enemy known as ARC, created by man. Make your way to the surface, find loot, but most importantly, survive and find an elevator to take you home.
ARC Raiders is the latest and greatest extraction shooter on the market, or at least it will hopefully be. Announced as one of the two projects Embark Studios were working on years ago, ARC Raiders first had a closed beta in 2024.
Following up in 2025, ARC Raiders made a splash on the scene, overtaking the hype of the downtrodden Marathon, which had a simultaneous beta taking place. For many, it was one of the most polished and engaging extraction shooters they had ever experienced.
Although it was only a beta, I found myself pouring hours into the game. Telling myself the classic "Just one more session" line.
Players are tasked with tackling various-sized robots on Earth's surface, called ARC. These ARCs hold valuable resources for those living beneath the planet's surface. Many of these resources provide player progression for both their base and their person.
Other ways of progression come in the form of challenges, levelling your character, and using skill points to level the traits best suited to your play style.
When does ARC Raiders release?
When does ARC Raiders release?
ARC Raiders is set to release on October 30, 2025.
ARC Raiders finally got a release date courtesy of Summer Game Fest. While it's not imminent, it is indeed arriving before the end of 2025 as promised.
Announced at Summer Game Fest, the PC and console launch will be simultaneous on October 30, 2025.
Will ARC Raiders have an offline mode?
Will ARC Raiders have offline mode?
No, ARC Raiders will not have an offline mode.
ARC Raiders will not have any form of offline gaming when it launches, or at least, as far as we know. Currently, all beta tests and communications from the developer have specified that ARC Raiders is an online-only experience.
Never say never, though! Another popular extraction shooter, Escape From Tarkov, has their own PvE experience that can be played offline as of July 2024. There's always hope that a dedicated offline mode will be added in the future.
Can ARC Raiders be played solo?
Can ARC Raiders be played solo?
Yes, ARC Raiders can be played as a solo experience.
Good news! ARC Raiders can be fully experienced as a solo player!
When matchmaking as a solo, you'll be queued against other solo players in the map you select. You will not be placed in games with groups going against you.
In my experience, I played most of the last beta as a solo player and never saw a single group during my playtime. It was terrific!
Not every game is like that these days. Marathon, a game that launched its own beta around the same timeframe, did not have a friendly solo queue for players to participate in.
As an adult, finding times when friends have equal gaming hours is a treasured experience, but when it can't happen, I appreciate developers who take the time to deliver a terrific solo experience.
What platforms will ARC Raiders be available on?
What platforms will ARC Raiders be available on?
ARC Raiders will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.
ARC Raiders is currently slated for all current-generation consoles and Windows PC, excluding Switch 1 and 2.
While there's no definitive answer, a Switch 2 port is possible, given the increase we've seen in third-party development for the platform. Even Cyberpunk was released for the platform, so anything is possible!
I'd love a handheld version of the game. I know I'd be cursing my Wi-Fi wherever I was playing.
Will ARC Raiders be on Game Pass?
Will ARC Raiders be on Game Pass?
No, ARC Raiders will not be part of Game Pass.
Neither Embark Studios nor Microsoft have announced anything in relation to the game coming to Game Pass.
Sometimes, games can still come to the service even without an initial Game Pass reveal. Sometimes close to release or even months after.
Games like Valorant and League of Legends came to the service years after their launch. Strategic partnerships with studios that specialize in multiplayer games isn't anything new for Xbox.
Will ARC Raiders have cross-save?
Will ARC Raiders have cross-save?
Yes, ARC Raiders will support cross-save and cross-progression at launch
Like Embark Studios other multiplayer title, The Finals, ARC Raiders will support cross-progression gaming.
Players on Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and PlayStation 5 simply need to link their player account to their Embark ID in the game. This will allow access to all your goodies across any platform you choose to play on.
Will ARC Raiders have cross-play?
Will ARC Raiders have cross-play?
Yes! ARC Raiders supports cross-play.
No matter where you choose to game, you can play with friends on other platforms thanks to Embark Studios enabling cross-lay between Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.
Often, you could see players and what platform they were playing on in the beta itself. It was a welcome feature because then I knew who needed aim assist and who didn't (I kid!).
Using cross-play allowed me to play with a few friends who wanted to try ARC Raiders but were on other platforms. Two of those friends were on Xbox, and thanks to the feature, I was able to show them the beta.
Will ARC Raiders run on Steam Deck?
Will ARC Raiders run on Steam Deck?
Yes, players were able to play ARC Raiders on Steam Deck during the beta.
While there's no official Steam Deck verified badge currently, ARC Raiders was playable on Steam Deck during the beta phase. Many players on Reddit reported getting frame rates above 40 while keeping the graphics low.
Seeing this is a welcome sign, given how many games these days fail to launch on Steam Deck around release. Although, it seems the little guy is always able to pull off some miracle, given players can get Cyberpunk to run at a locked 30 FPS on the handheld device.
ARC Raiders Trailers
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