Embark Studios is planning an experimental PvE option for ARC Raiders. Players would be able to switch off PvP for a run and team up against the ARC machines instead of each other.
This is a test of an extra option. Nothing suggests Embark is removing the normal PvPvE mode.
According to the announcement, players will still meet other squads on the map. The difference is that you can’t fight them. Everyone works together against the ARC.
Embark hasn’t promised the mode will stay. It could become permanent if the test goes well. That is a possibility, not a decision.
Why this is a big deal in an extraction shooter
In extraction games, you drop into a dangerous zone, grab loot, and try to escape. If you die before you extract, you can lose what you brought in. That risk is why meeting another squad feels so tense.
A PvE-only run keeps the looting, the exploring, and the escape. It removes the chance that another player ends your raid and takes your gear.
That will appeal to part of the audience. Some players liked the early game but found the PvP too frustrating to keep playing. This mode is aimed directly at them.
The biggest open question for ARC Raiders is progression. Can loot, upgrades, and quest progress from a PvE run be used in PvPvE? If so, how will Embark keep that fair for players who stay in the risky mode?
Embark hasn’t fully answered this yet. It’s also not confirmed which maps, events, or activities will be part of the test.
