Arc Raiders PvE Test Ends, and Embark Is Still Deciding What Comes Next

Embark Studios ran a player-versus-environment mode for Arc Raiders for one week in October, then switched it off. The studio has not yet decided whether the mode will return for good.

Arc Raiders normally runs in PvPvE mode, short for player versus player versus environment. Players fight each other as well as the computer-controlled Arc enemies. The test added a toggle that made players unable to hurt one another, so they worked together against the Arc. Video Games Chronicle reported that the studio is now weighing whether to bring it back permanently.

Embark's own announcement set the window at October 13 to October 20, 2026. During that time, players could choose between the classic game and the PvE experience. The studio said players completed more than 30 million rounds of PvE, which gave the team a large amount of data to study.

The change of direction was not the first. Arc Raiders began as a PvE co-op looter, a game about gathering loot with friends against computer enemies. Embark later moved it to PvPvE, turning it into an extraction shooter, where players collect loot and must escape the map with it. The studio said the larger version of the idea was not there.

Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal spoke about the test with MP1st. He said the team has concluded the toggle test and is now doing a deep dive into what to do next. The central question, he said, is how to support more types of players without undermining the premise of Arc Raiders itself.

The test ended while the game was enjoying a strong run. TechPowerUp reported that the game reached a six-month player count high around the time the PvE test concluded.

For players, the immediate picture is simple. The standard PvPvE game remains the default experience, and Embark has not announced a date or a decision on a permanent PvE option. Any update will come from the studio's own channels.