After launch, the most obvious surprise for Arc Raiders developers was the emergence of a passionate PvE crowd who would rather cooperate and fight the ARC machines than engage in combat with other players. The extraction shooter, developed by Embark Studios, was never meant to be played this way. Yet five months after its October release, this "friendly lobbies" phenomenon has become one of the game's defining characteristics.
"It's quite challenging because we have these two, quite polar types of fans," said Embark production director Caio Braga. The studio faces a genuine design conflict: it committed to PvPvE gameplay after extensive playtesting, yet discovered that a substantial portion of its player base prefers avoiding hostility altogether.
To address this tension, Embark has introduced behaviour-based matchmaking that operates on three layers: player skill, team size, and player behaviour based on PvP versus PvE tendencies. The system matches players who prefer cooperative play with others who share that preference, and those matched this way get more cooperation-focused encounters.
The design decision carries philosophical weight. During playtests, developers received substantial negative feedback about PvP. The message was clear: testers didn't like the PvP. Embark ultimately discovered the real frustration came from weapon balancing and matchmaking rather than PvP itself. The studio stuck with the mixed mode, but the post-launch community largely made the choice differently.
Embark has leaned into the PvE preference with dedicated events, though it still seems unlikely the studio will release a full PvE mode. The removal of PvP feats in recent updates has further reduced incentives to attack other players, with some community members wondering whether Embark is quietly shifting toward a PvE-focused experience.
Beyond gameplay balance, the studio has also addressed community concerns about its use of artificial intelligence. Arc Raiders has removed AI voice lines since launch after criticism, with Embark clarifying that the studio pays actors for all time spent recording and continues to bring many back as the game updates. For select usage, the studio also pays actors for approval to license their voices through text-to-speech for less immersion-critical dialogue.
Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund acknowledged that "a real professional actor is better than AI; that's just how it is". The studio said it uses AI "first and foremost as a production tool" to test voice lines internally before deciding what to record. Söderlund added that the approach is "a way for us to work, not replace actors. We don't necessarily believe in replacing humans with AI all the time".
The success of Arc Raiders on both fronts suggests the studio has found a workable balance. Arc Raiders sales have already passed 12 million copies, and the game has been Steam's top-selling premium title every week since release, with 91 per cent player retention by December 2025. The PvE-leaning community remains vocal, but the game accommodates both playstyles, even if uneasily.