The developers of action shooter ARC Raiders have announced the testing of a full-fledged PvE mode in which players will be able to explore the Rust Belt, complete missions and fight using ARC machines without the risk of harm from other raiders. The test will run from October 13 to October 20, 2026, during which players will be able to switch between PvPvE and PvE immediately before playing the game.
As a representative from Embark Studios explained, the decision to try this format came about because ARC Raiders’ audience has distinctly different preferences. 37% of players prefer friendly cooperative play, 27% fall into the hybrid category, and 34% prefer pure PvP. More than 70% of Group 1 players and about 40% of PvP viewers said they would like to face fewer hostile players, while 51% of respondents expressed interest in a separate PvE mode.
The idea for a cooperative game against ARC emerged in the early stages of project creation. Seven years ago, ARC Raiders was conceived as a PvE game with a raid and loot system, but the concept was later overhauled in favor of an intense PvPvE shooter. After its release, Rust Belt proved to attract not only fans of action shooters, but also players more interested in world exploration, cooperation, and fighting ARC machines.
During the test, PvE will be a combination of solo, duo, and trio, and damage between players will be completely disabled. The purpose of this format is to provide an opportunity to calmly collect resources, complete missions, and explore locations without having to force a firefight with other raiders. The developers want to make transitioning between the two matchmaking options as easy as possible so that players can choose PvE for a quiet session and then return to PvPvE.
Some map conditions will not be included in the experiment. Night raids, hidden bunkers, locked doors, and frigates will be excluded from PvE matches, as they are inherently designed for a higher degree of tension and uncertainty associated with possible encounters with other players. PvPvE matchmaking ratings will not change when playing PvE.
Security from other players will affect the economy. The overall value of loot in PvE will be reduced as it will be easier for looters to successfully exit a location with collected resources. On the other hand, in regular PvPvE sessions, the base loot value will increase slightly to compensate for the higher risk. The author will also change the behavior of ARC when a player is knocked down. The machines will be able to retarget him while crawling, but will stop attacking him if he remains stationary.
Embark Studios warns that the experiment does not guarantee a permanent PvE mode. After October 20, the switch will be removed and pairing will return to the normal system. The developers intend to study statistics and player feedback, as audience segmentation may increase wait times for matches in areas with low user populations or at off-peak times, and impact the quality of PvPvE sessions.
