Embark Studios has finally shared the debut gameplay trailer for ARC Raiders. The game was originally announced at The Game Awards 2021 as a free-to-play cooperative shooter. However, it received several delays that led Embark to focus on The Finals (formerly known as Project Discovery), their competitive shooter, first.
In May 2023, the developer finally re-revealed ARC Raiders as a third-person PvPvE extraction shooter, and playtesting took place last month. Today, Executive Producer Aleksander Grøndal said about the playtest:
This was a really encouraging playtest for us. We now have lots of data and feedback to sift through. We know that players appreciate the atmosphere of the world we’ve created and the immersion we bring to the table. We also know there’s a lot we can do to continue to optimize and balance the experience. We’re keen to deliver on a much expanded late-game experience, with deeper progression and extensive quests that take players across new locations, as well as a larger variety of ARC machines and other world-encounters.
In ARC Raiders, players scavenge the surface of the world for vital supplies and materials through quests and raids assigned by the merchants of Speranza. While scavenging the surface, they will encounter enemy ARC machines and other raiders competing for resources.
Engaging in firefights may be the only way out of a tight spot, but it’s also risky. Sometimes, being cautious and staying out of sight is a better option to stay alive. To keep the hard-earned loot, players must reach extraction points and risk being ambushed. Success means getting their hands on vital materials for crafting and upgrading, or items to sell to the merchants for currency.
According to the developers, ARC Raiders mixes high-intensity, time-sensitive extraction challenges on the surface with strategic survival elements underground, where progress is closely tied to the player’s workshop. Building and upgrading various crafting stations allows users to craft new equipment, such as advanced weapon mods or unique gadgets.
The merchants in Speranza will give quests in exchange for extra currency and experience, as well as the occasional item. The vendors offer different items and equipment, depending on their specialty. Players may also spend experience in a skill tree to customize their playstyle.
ARC Raiders will be released next year on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store, with support for NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW cloud), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X.
