Embark Studios has shared a new update on how it is handling cheating in ARC Raiders, and the message is pretty clear. The studio is using a mix of anti-cheat tools, machine learning, player telemetry, and human review to protect fair play in the extraction shooter.
In a new post titled “Ensuring Fair Play,” Embark said anti-cheat is a studio-wide effort across its games. With ARC Raiders Riven Tides now live, the team wanted to explain how it detects suspicious behavior, why some systems are kept private, and how ban appeals are handled behind the scenes.
ARC Raiders Uses Machine Learning to Detect Suspicious Player Behavior
According to Embark, ARC Raiders’ anti-cheat setup combines kernel-level protection from Easy Anti-Cheat with detection tools powered by machine learning models. These models are trained using a constant flow of player telemetry, which helps the team identify suspicious patterns that may point to cheating.
The studio also said it has additional anti-cheat layers behind the scenes, but it is not revealing those details for operational security reasons. That is a normal move for live service shooters, since explaining every detection method would only help cheat developers work around them.
Embark also confirmed that input telemetry analysis has become one of its most effective tools. The studio says it has trained and deployed models specifically for that purpose, while also working with Anybrain on the research from the beginning.
Embark Says Accessibility Devices Are a Difficult Anti-Cheat Challenge
One of the more interesting parts of Embark’s update is how it talks about accessibility devices. The studio admitted that this is one of the harder areas of anti-cheat because some players genuinely rely on alternative hardware to play the game.
At the same time, those same types of tools can also be abused by cheaters. Because of that, Embark says the real signal it looks for is intent. Its systems analyze telemetry and communication patterns to separate legitimate accessibility use from abuse, while continuing to refine the process over time.
Ban Appeals in ARC Raiders Are Reviewed by Real People
The biggest takeaway from the update is Embark’s statement on ban appeals. While ARC Raiders uses machine learning and automated detection systems to help find cheaters, Embark says the appeal process itself is not automated.
“Every ban appeal is reviewed by a person on our team,” Embark said in the post. The studio added that the process is still being refined as the team learns from more cases.
Embark’s message seems designed to push back against the concern that they use AI for ban appeals. The studio is saying AI and machine learning may help flag suspicious behavior, but appeals are still checked by real humans.
Embark also addressed another common frustration: generic support replies. The studio said players may have to wait for answers and may receive pre-written responses from support agents, but those responses are used to keep communication consistent.
Even so, Embark says each case is still looked into as part of the appeals process. The studio also claims these appeal reviews help test and refine the systems and models used to keep the game fair.
Embark Wants Players to Know It Is Still Improving the System
Embark made it clear that its fair play work is not finished. The studio said it is testing a new kernel-level solution that it expects will improve detection and precision across Speranza and the Rust Belt. It also described the appeals process as a permanent area of investment rather than a finished system.
Extraction shooters live and die by trust. If players feel their loot, time, and progress are being ruined by cheaters, frustration grows quickly. But if players feel bans are being handed out unfairly, that creates a different kind of trust problem.
