ARC Raiders dev hints at custom loadout presets to cut time spent in menus

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Embark Studios is considering adding the ability to save custom gear setups in ARC Raiders. This comes after players expressed difficulty and annoyance with the game’s current system for managing equipment and crafting items.

Virgil Watkins, the design lead for Arc Raiders, told GamesRadar+ that the team knows players want the ability to save their preferred gear setups, making it quicker to prepare for missions. However, he explained that this feature isn’t being added right away, as they’re currently focused on other updates and improvements for the game.

I was really hoping for saved loadouts, and the developer, Watkins, explained they’ve actually been talking about them for a while! It sounds like they just ran out of time before the game launched to get it fully working, which is understandable. Hopefully, we’ll see them added in a future update!

Virgil Watkins, the design lead for Arc Raiders, acknowledges players are annoyed by having to create their equipment setups by hand. Embark Studios is considering adding a feature to save custom setups, which would speed things up, but it won’t be available right away and is still in development.

— ARC Now (@ArcRaidersNow) January 18, 2026

Custom Loadouts in ARC Raiders are on the table

Like with past projects such as the Expedition, the amount of work we could do largely depended on how many developers we had and how much time there was before release. Now, we’re focused on figuring out how to balance this project with other necessary tasks, and potentially shifting our plans based on what’s realistically achievable.

Players have been increasingly frustrated with Arc Raiders’ user interface because it takes a lot of time and menu-diving to get fully equipped after being defeated. Many are finding they spend more time setting up their gear than actually playing the game. The developer, Watkins, has admitted this is a valid concern, and even said he’s felt the same frustration while playing.

Watkins confessed he’d rather use the free starting gear, even if he had plenty of weapons and items already, because it saved him time and hassle. He explained, ‘I’d rather just quickly jump into the game and start playing than spend time sorting through menus.’ He admitted this was a common preference among players.

Although Watkins didn’t want to speak for the design team at Embark, he explained how saving preferred equipment setups could make the game smoother. He proposed a feature that would automatically create the strongest possible version of a player’s chosen gear using whatever resources they have available.

Watkins explained that the system is really helpful because it tries its best to give you what you need, even if you’re limited in resources. It basically assesses what you have and gives you the best possible outcome based on that.

Watkins explained that Embark’s goal is to keep players engaged in gameplay, not stuck in menus. They’ve already made improvements to matchmaking to minimize waiting, so now they want to focus on maximizing in-game action.

He agreed that speeding up the initial part of the game would be excellent. He also noted that some difficulty can be good in games, but spending a lot of time navigating menus isn’t enjoyable.

Custom loadout options aren’t confirmed yet, but the developers of Arc Raiders are definitely aware players want them and are considering adding them in future updates.

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2026-01-18 19:49