ARC Raiders release timing sparks a fascinating debate about how games compete with each other

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I recently learned, thanks to PC Gamer, that the release of ARC Raiders is sandwiched between the next Battlefield game and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which comes out next month. This is a situation Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund likely remembers well. He used to be a Vice President at EA when Titanfall 2 was released between Battlefield and Call of Duty, and many believe that timing contributed to its poor performance. While ARC Raiders is currently getting some attention, there’s a curious discussion happening on Reddit about whether it actually competes with other popular shooting games.

Does ARC Raiders compete with games like Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty?

The story gained traction on a PC gaming forum, and many commenters believe the release timing of ARC Raiders isn’t a problem because it’s a different type of game than popular shooters like Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty. One top comment explained: “ARC Raiders is a third-person co-op game where you collect items, while Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty are primarily focused on multiplayer first-person shooting. The only real similarity is that they all involve guns.” The commenter also pointed out that Titanfall 2 was a more direct competitor to those other games. However, many believe this perspective is too limited, as all video games ultimately compete for players’ time and attention.

Recently, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, explained Microsoft’s decision to bring Halo to PlayStation. In an interview with The New York Times, he stated that they’re trying to reach players wherever they are. He emphasized that their biggest challenge isn’t competing with other consoles, but rather with all the different ways people spend their time – things like TikTok and movies. While this perspective isn’t perfect, and Xbox isn’t dominating the console market, it highlights the broader struggle to capture people’s attention in today’s world.

Fortunately, other Reddit users chimed in as well. One commenter echoed the top comment, stating that ARC Raiders isn’t really in the same league as Call of Duty or Battlefield, as it’s fundamentally different in almost every way. However, another user pointed out that some people who’d enjoy ARC Raiders are currently playing Battlefield instead, meaning they are competing for players. A third user added that all multiplayer games compete with each other to some degree, simply because players have limited time and games need to keep people engaged. While these games certainly have differences, they’re still vying for the attention of the same player base.

So, if my friends hit me up tonight wanting to play ARC Raiders after work, I’m gonna be in a tough spot. I’m right in the middle of finishing Pokémon Legends: Z-A on my Switch, and I’ll have to choose. Those two games are totally different, obviously, but they’re both fighting for the same precious free time I have each evening. I only have so many hours to game, and I can’t be in two places at once – or play both games with a limited number of friends!

As a gamer, I noticed a weird trend this year. A lot of developers were holding off on announcing when their games would come out, all because everyone was waiting for news on Grand Theft Auto 6. Then, when Team Cherry finally gave us a release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong, it felt like a domino effect – tons of other indie games started shifting their release dates too. Even bigger titles, like Hell is Us, seemed to be affected. It’s not that these games are all the same, it’s just about getting people’s attention and making sure your game doesn’t get lost in the shuffle when something huge drops.

Despite launching at a potentially tricky time, ARC Raiders is off to a strong start. It’s great to see a new game gaining attention, particularly one that isn’t from the usual big names like EA and Activision. The real question is whether it can maintain this momentum in the months to come, so we’ll be watching its progress closely.

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2025-11-01 01:02