Arc Raiders PvE Test Could Lead to a Split Future for the Extraction Shooter

Arc Raiders is preparing to test one of its most consequential ideas yet: a pure PvE mode. From October 13 through October 20, developer Embark will run a limited trial that removes the player-versus-player element from the game's established PvPvE extraction format. It is an experiment with potentially major implications, not only for the people who have requested a safer way to scavenge and fight machines, but for the long-term identity of Arc Raiders itself.

Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal has acknowledged that Embark is considering the possibility that the game could eventually cater to its PvE and PvPvE audiences in more distinct ways. Asked whether Arc Raiders could effectively become two experiences--the extraction shooter players know now and a dedicated PvE alternative--Grøndal said that outcome is "very possible."

That does not mean a permanent standalone PvE mode has been announced. The October test is explicitly limited, and Embark intends to study player feedback and gameplay data before deciding what comes next. Still, the willingness to run the test, combined with Grøndal's comments, makes this a pivotal moment for a game whose community has long debated how much danger should come from Arc's machines and how much should come from other Raiders.

A question Embark has been weighing since launch

The prospect of PvE has followed Arc Raiders for a long time. The project originally began as a fully cooperative PvE game built around players fighting enormous robotic threats. Late in development, however, it shifted toward the PvPvE extraction-shooter structure that now defines it. The change also came alongside a broader strategic decision: the team moved away from a free-to-play model and concentrated on making Arc Raiders work as an extraction game.

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That choice paid off, but it also created a lasting divide in player expectations. Some players appreciate the uncertainty of encounters with strangers, the possibility of betrayal, and the stories that emerge when groups decide whether to cooperate or fight. Others have wanted a mode where the primary challenge is surviving the hostile world and its mechanical enemies without the fear that another squad will end a run at the worst possible moment.

Grøndal said the studio had repeatedly asked itself whether it should "open this door" to PvE, and what doing so would mean. In his view, the question may have remained unresolved for too long. The upcoming trial is therefore not simply a temporary playlist experiment; it is an attempt to finally gather meaningful evidence on a foundational design question.

Embark's challenge is that both sides of the discussion have a legitimate claim to Arc Raiders. The game's roots are in PvE, while its current structure has been shaped around extraction mechanics and the unpredictable social pressure created by PvP. A pure PvE offering could welcome players who have stayed away from the game's most punishing encounters, but it could also alter the balance and purpose of the existing experience.

Why a PvE mode is more complicated than flipping off PvP

Removing hostile players may sound straightforward on paper, but PvP is connected to many of the systems that create an extraction shooter's atmosphere. The knowledge that another Raider could be watching from nearby changes how players move, what risks they take, when they extract, and how they interpret every distant sound. Without that threat, Embark must determine whether Arc's environmental dangers can sustain the same intensity on their own.

There is also the matter of social tension. In PvPvE matches, players can choose not to fight. A temporary alliance, a cautious truce, or a surprising act of generosity can feel meaningful precisely because betrayal remains possible. Those emergent interactions are a major part of the genre's appeal. A PvE mode could encourage a more consistently cooperative culture, but it may not reproduce the unusual mixture of mistrust and camaraderie that comes from meeting another player in a high-stakes zone.

Progression and the in-game economy are similarly sensitive issues. If PvE runs provide access to the same rewards with less risk, players may feel pushed toward the mode that offers the most efficient route to equipment and resources. If the rewards are too limited, meanwhile, PvE players could see the mode as an incomplete version of the game rather than a meaningful option. Separating rewards, inventories, matchmaking pools, or advancement could solve some problems while creating others.

Player population is another concern. A separate PvE mode could broaden Arc Raiders' appeal, but it could also divide queues and communities. Extraction shooters depend heavily on the feeling that a match contains unknown human variables. If the PvPvE audience becomes too fragmented across modes, regions, or difficulty bands, the original game could lose some of its vitality. Conversely, a well-designed PvE track could retain people who would otherwise stop playing altogether, strengthening the overall player base.

Grøndal recognized these risks directly. He described the concerns as valid and explained that the limited nature of the trial is intentional, particularly because it is focused around some higher-end content. That approach gives Embark an opportunity to observe how PvE influences the wider experience before committing to a larger rollout.

Internal debate mirrors the community debate

The question is not being treated as an easy win inside Embark. Grøndal said there were real reservations within the studio when the PvE test was proposed. Not everyone immediately embraced the idea, and the internal response reflected the same two-sided debate visible among players.

That candor matters because it suggests the team is not presenting PvE as an inevitable feature or a simple concession to demand. Embark appears to be treating it as a design problem that requires testing rather than assumptions. The studio needs to understand what players actually do in the mode, how they evaluate its rewards and difficulty, whether they return to it, and what effect it has on engagement with PvPvE.

For players who have argued that the game should respect different preferences, that stance will be encouraging. Grøndal said it is important to respect the way people want to enjoy Arc Raiders, even if that differs from the team's original conception of the game. At the same time, he stressed that the studio must define what such a split would truly mean in practice.

That distinction is crucial. "PvE mode" can mean many things: a temporary event, a parallel matchmaking queue, distinct progression, altered objectives, revised loot rules, more difficult machine encounters, or something closer to a separate game structure. The October test will not answer every question at once, but it should reveal which problems need solving first.

Frozen Trail arrives as the experiment begins

The discussion around PvE comes as Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update draws attention for more immediate quality-of-life improvements. Among the patch notes is a change many players have wanted for a long time: downed players can now open the map. It is a small feature compared with the possible addition of a dedicated PvE experience, but it speaks to the same broader theme of Embark responding to how people actually play the game.

Frozen Trail and the PvE test may therefore represent two different scales of evolution. One is a conventional update that improves usability in tense situations. The other could reshape the audience Arc Raiders serves and the expectations attached to every future update.

For now, the October 13-20 window is the key date. Players who favor PvE will have a chance to show what demand looks like when the option is available, while committed PvPvE players will be watching closely for any indication that progression, matchmaking, or the game's core tension could change. Embark, meanwhile, will have to balance both groups without assuming that one answer fits everyone.

Arc Raiders has already undergone a major identity shift during its development. The next one, if it comes, may not replace the current game at all. Instead, it could acknowledge that its community has become two overlapping audiences: one drawn to the danger of other players, and one eager to confront Arc's machines without that additional threat. Whether the studio can support both without weakening either experience is exactly what this test is designed to discover.