Arc Raiders “Isn’t About Shooting Other Players,” So Don’t Expect More PvP Stuff

by

Arc Raiders is an online shooter where you team up with others to complete missions and fight enemies controlled by the game. While you can attack other players, the developers at Embark Studios want the focus to remain on cooperative gameplay, so they aren’t planning to add more player-versus-player features.

Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund recently told GamesBeat that the team doesn’t intend to include competitive leaderboards for player-versus-player combat. He explained that adding this type of competition creates unnecessary stress and wasn’t a core design goal for the game.

We’ve talked a lot about systems like ‘Nemesis,’ and everything related to them. I’m not sure what the team’s current progress is on those features. What I really like about this game is that it doesn’t focus on competition or leaderboards. We don’t want to encourage that kind of gameplay. While you can attack other players, that’s not what the game is designed around. The core idea isn’t about player-versus-player combat; instead, we use those interactions to build suspense and drama.

Arc Raiders challenges you to weigh the potential rewards against the dangers you face, constantly evaluating your surroundings. Early versions of the game didn’t show other players, but the developers found that adding an online multiplayer element actually increased the tension, forcing you to carefully consider how much risk you’re willing to accept.

Söderlund explained that the game initially lacked other players, and while enjoyable at times, it truly came alive when they were added. The team focused on subtly indicating the presence of others – not with direct numbers, but through sounds like gunfire and visual cues like raider flares. These flares were so important to the experience that when they were temporarily removed during a playtest, Söderlund immediately requested their return, recognizing them as a key and iconic element of the game.

The game felt truly dynamic and full of life thanks to the constant sense of danger and the variety of other players you’d meet while battling through Arc Raiders. Söderlund highlighted this tension, but explained that it wasn’t just about other players. The game’s atmosphere also came from its sound design, enemy encounters, and the world itself.

Arc Raiders is currently facing some criticism. Specifically, people are questioning the game’s use of AI-generated voice lines, though the developers at Embark Studios argue this technology actually helps both them and players. Despite this controversy, the game has been very successful for the Swedish studio, and they’ve even started receiving offers to adapt it into movies and TV shows.

Read More

2026-01-07 18:10