Embark Studios’ co-op third-person shooter ARC Raiders has changed since its announcement. In new Medium post, executive producer Aleksander Grøndal revealed that the team decided last year to add PvP.
Furthermore, it now has elements of a survival extraction shooter. Grøndal says the experience “stays true to the ARC Raiders universe, and we’re having a blast testing internally.” One scenario involves Speranza, an underground colony that needs supplies. As a Raider, you venture out to scavenge them, fighting off ARC machines and other Raiders. You could encounter situations like helping out another Raider fighting the ARC or leaving them to die and picking through their remains.
There’s a relationship with traders in the colony as well. “Trust is hard-earned and easily lost. You need to earn your keep. So don’t come back from a quest empty-handed,” said Grøndal.
Sign-ups are currently available on Steam for a closed alpha test, which will garner feedback “on the game’s core systems and loops. This will be the first road test of ARC Raiders and an important step for the game, which, so far, has never been in the hands of external players.” It will be under NDA since the developer “has some work to do and theories to prove before it’s time to put them on the world’s stage.”
ARC Raiders doesn’t have a release date, but it’s launching this year for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PC and GeForce Now. Embark Studios is also working on competitive PvP title, THE FINALS. It recently had a beta, which received positive feedback.