Embark’s upcoming ARC Raiders PvE matchmaking test could change the feeling of running into another Raider. Scheduled for October 13 to 20, the experiment lets players choose a session with player-to-player damage disabled. A permanent PvE option remains undecided.
The appeal is easy to understand. Fighting ARC machines and collecting loot without getting shot by another player sounds inviting. But the experiment also touches something that makes ARC Raiders special, which is meeting a stranger who could kill you, then watching them choose to help.
In brief:
- ARC Raiders is testing an optional PvE matchmaking toggle from October 13 to 20.
- Friendly encounters carry emotional weight because players have the freedom to betray each other.
- A separate PvE queue could change the balance of friendly and hostile players in regular matchmaking.
- The test will help show whether both experiences can coexist without weakening that social tension.
Friendly Players Make ARC Raiders Stand Out
Extraction games build tension around what you could lose. ARC Raiders adds another compelling layer through the choices players make when they cross paths.
Picture a fight against an ARC machine. Another Raider arrives, and you have to judge their intentions while trying to survive. They could shoot you, wait for you to die, or help take the machine down.
When they help, that decision means something. They passed up an opportunity to take advantage of you. You might share the spoils, head toward extraction together, and still wonder whether they’ll turn on you before the doors close. And that uncertainty gives a simple encounter its own story.
There’s also evidence that cooperation attracts a substantial part of the audience. Embark’s figures put players who prefer friendly co-op at 37%. That describes a playstyle preference, so it shouldn’t be treated as the probability that any individual stranger will be friendly.
For me, that willingness to cooperate while betrayal remains possible is ARC Raiders’ strongest hook in a crowded genre.
How the PvE Toggle Could Change Those Encounters
Disabling player damage changes the first question you ask when someone approaches. Their ability to shoot you is already settled by the server rules.
Players can still cooperate, rescue each other, and enjoy fighting ARC together. Those moments can be satisfying. But the decision to trust a stranger carries less risk, and helping someone loses part of the tension surrounding it.
My concern is that players choosing PvE could miss the very encounters that make ARC Raiders memorable. The relief of discovering someone is friendly depends partly on having feared they might be hostile.
Could PvE Matchmaking Make Regular Lobbies More Hostile?
The potential effect extends beyond the PvE servers. If cooperation-minded players move into the new queue in large numbers, regular PvPvE sessions could end up with a greater concentration of players looking for fights. Friendly encounters might become less frequent, encouraging the remaining players to shoot first.
That’s a possible outcome, and the test will need to establish whether it actually happens. Players could also switch regularly between both options depending on their mood.
Still, keeping the standard queue available doesn’t guarantee its social balance will stay the same. The people choosing to enter it help determine the experience.
Embark Needs the PvE Test Before Making a Permanent Decision
There’s a fair argument for giving players more control. 51% of surveyed players expressed interest in dedicated PvE. So, obviously, that demand deserves consideration, especially from people who enjoy exploring and fighting machines but find hostile encounters exhausting.
The concern is what happens to spontaneous cooperation across the whole game. Embark should look at how often players switch queues, whether friendly encounters decline in PvPvE, and whether PvE keeps players engaged after the initial curiosity fades.
ARC Raiders gets something special from strangers choosing kindness while holding the power to ruin each other’s run. A PvE toggle could change that balance. Whether the extra choice strengthens the game enough to justify that change is something the test still has to answer.
