Embark Studios’ hit extraction shooter, ARC Raiders, has received plenty of praise for its gameplay (and sales, topping Steam’s charts to end 2025), but even more so for its community. Those who aren’t keen on attacking others would often encounter other friendlies, leading to some relatively relaxing expeditions. This was initially assumed to be a benefit of solo play, but no, it’s because there is indeed “aggression-based matchmaking.”
Speaking to GamesBeat’s Dean Takahashi in a play session, Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund outright confirmed that, “If your preference is to do PvE and have less conflict with players, you’ll get more matched up [with other friendlies] – obviously it’s not a full science.”
When Takahashi brought up someone asking if aggression-based matchmaking is active, Söderlund said, “That’s exactly what it is. A game like this, we knew from the beginning that we were going to get some… Especially as the game has gotten big, that’s a problem.”
Of course, there are other factors that go into the matchmaking process. “Obviously, first it’s skill-based,” he said. “Then you have solos, duos, and trios. And then also, since a week ago or so, we introduced a system where we also matchmake based on how prone you are to PvP or PvE.”
It makes sense when you think about it. If you’re keen on attacking other players, then look forward to meeting those with a similar “shoot first, ask questions later” mindset. In the same vein, those who prefer to cooperate and put their trust in strangers will find that reciprocated.
However, as Söderlund mentioned, it’s not completely 1:1 – cut to the few times I was downed by other players while solo. However, with solo play carrying more risks compared to groups, it makes sense to offer a way for the less violent to make progress.
ARC Raiders is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It sold over four million units in less than two weeks and recently received a new update, “Cold Snap.” Embark hasn’t revealed what’s next, but it has noticed requests for more different ARC machines to fight.
