Arc Raiders devs are still weighing up PvE mode after a divisive test

Arc Raiders‘ PvE-only mode could return in the future, but developer Embark Studios isn’t ready to commit just yet. Following a week-long public test, the team is taking time to dig into player feedback before deciding what comes next. When will we get a final decision from The Finals developer?

In a new interview with MP1st, the studio acknowledges that opinions on a PvE-only experience remain divided. While some players want to explore the extraction shooter’s world without the threat of other Raiders, others worry that removing PvP could undermine what makes the game special. Arc Raiders originally began as a cooperative PvE looter before shifting towards the PvPvE extraction shooter players know today. 

“Now that we’ve concluded the PvE matchmaking toggle test, we’re doing a deep dive into what that means,” Grøndal explains. “Of course, we were a bit skeptical about bringing such a mode to the game for historical reasons, but now we need to discuss what we want to do going forward.”

Grøndal suggests that the test could reveal an opportunity to appeal to a wider range of players, including those who enjoy the game’s world but would prefer to play without the stress of rogue players looking to rat everyone out. “Perhaps this is more a signal that the game could support more player types, and we need to figure out how to support that,” he says. “The challenge, of course, is how we do that without undermining the premise of the game itself.”

There’s also the question of what a permanent PvE mode would actually look like. Grøndal tells MP1st that Embark first needs to establish what players are looking for, whether that’s a more relaxed alternative to regular raids, a challenge focused on fighting AI enemies, or a fully fledged PvE experience.

“Is it more a chill side mode you can play between more intense PvPvE rounds? Is it more a challenge mode that you can test your skills against AI? Or perhaps it’s a full experience with PvE only?” he adds. “These are some of the questions we need to dig into before we decide how to go forward.”

Each approach would have different implications for how the studio develops future updates, particularly for maintaining content across multiple modes. The Frozen Trail is one of the game’s largest content offerings yet, but whether it can keep players interested remains to be seen.