Why do Arc Raiders players avoid PvP?

Arc Raiders’ PvE-heavy audience reshapes Embark’s priorities

Embark says Arc Raiders has attracted a largely PvE-focused crowd, with roughly 30% of players gravitating specifically toward PvP. Rather than treating that as a problem, the studio is using the distribution as a design signal: it wants players who prefer cooperative or more relaxed play to still feel successful and supported.

In the studio’s framing, the most important takeaway is emotional, not statistical—Embark says it’s trying to “instil hope in the player.” That implies the game’s extraction-style pressure and risk dynamics should be tuned so that players who don’t chase constant fights aren’t repeatedly punished for choosing that playstyle.

This matters for how Arc Raiders evolves, because PvP-heavy tuning often leads to widening skill gaps and sharper punishment for teams that aren’t optimized for competitive engagements. By contrast, Embark’s stated stance suggests continued iteration toward systems that help PvE-minded groups stay engaged and survive long enough to reach meaningful goals.

The story also points to a broader industry tension: live-service shooters and extraction games can feel “one-note” if matchmaking, rewards, or progression end up implicitly rewarding only the most aggressive approach. Embark appears to be aiming for a different balance—one where multiple routes through the game are viable, and where players don’t feel like their preferred mode is a dead end.

Net effect: with a substantial minority of players choosing PvP and a larger portion leaning PvE, Embark is setting the bar that balance and future updates should respect that reality, improving retention by making more of the game’s population feel capable and included.