I know this will get me a lot of hate but I think this needs to be said.

I played all the ARC Raiders play tests and beta tests and I love this game with all of my heart. More specifically I love the game play loop that this game has.

This game launched and has always been a PvPvE game, the entire hook of the game is that aspect. The loop it self is built into that aspect as well. The entire world is supposed to be this lawless wasteland where you do what ever you want to do. That’s always been the whole thing.

PvE players started complaining and got the ABMM added and honestly, that’s fine. I don’t mind the aggression based match making at all. What really ticks me off is y’all didn’t stop there. You couldn’t be happy with ABMM and now you basically want the game that we all love to turn into an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT GAME. If you don’t like PvPvE, don’t play a PvPvE game! It’s not cool to split the entire player pool and make it extremely polarized to please the most insufferable group of players.

By adding all these extra things to please the PvE crowd, the entire game will no longer be PvPvE, it will be split by just PvP and PvE and there will be no ARC Raiders like there was when it first came out. That was the art of ARC Raiders, that was the entire hook, was that you never know who you can trust and who you can’t and each game is just completely different and unpredictable.

The PvE guys need to grow up. If you don’t like the PvPvE experience, don’t play this game, becuase that’s what it is. That’s the entirety of this game. If you don’t like it, leave, don’t try to turn it into something it’s not.

Sometimes, I enjoy roleplaying as a serial killer. And you know how serial killers blend into society? They're 99% friendly. So that's exactly what I do. I act friendly 99% of the time, but sometimes, when my urge to kill starts getting too strong, that's when I decide to pick a victim, gain their trust by giving them a BP, and then invite them to follow me to a dark, isolated part of the map, far away from spawn areas and high-traffic zones. No witnesses. The perfect crime!

And that's when I cold-bloodedly kill them.

I take their loot and quickly leave the area to avoid raising suspicion. Then I meet up with other raiders, help them out, give them items, and they all think I'm friendly. We start dancing together, and someone begins playing the guitar.

If only they knew that just five minutes earlier, I had gunned a man down in cold blood, all for a lousy free kit, as if his life meant absolutely nothing.

That's really when the game made me feel like a murderer. But not just any murderer. I'm the murderer nobody suspects. I'm the one who helps others. I'm the one who defibs people. I'm the one who plays the flute. I'm the one the raiders trust.

This week, I'm already up to 24 victims. Never been caught, never failed, nobody suspects a thing. There's also that feeling of total impunity. Honestly, there's nothing better than roleplaying like this in a game.

I've been lurking the sub and Steam forums for the last couple of weeks comming up to the PvE test. Rarely have I seen this amount of toxicity in a game community. I'd like for people to remember that this is a test and it's OPTIONAL.

ARC has been slowly dying out the last 8 months, now since the test the game has been over 100k in the middle of the week. Wich means there's a big majority of people (me included) that want to play a PvE experience and rarely have I seen this amount of toxicity in a game.

The PvE toggle needs some fine tuning. Like a lot of people i've seen write up about this, it needs to be a seperate character, seperate progression from the PvPvE, it needs localized loot and it needs less players per raid.

It's crazy how some players sole purpose are to make other peoples live difficult. Like what's so bad about people enjoying a game the way they want to play? And don't start saying "the game was advertised PvPvE blah blah blah", Sure maybe it was advertised as such but the devs noticed that a majority of people don't want to be ratted on and enjoy the game they made at their own pace.

I've reinstalled ARC since launch for the sole purpose of playing the PvE mode. And since i've been genuinely enjoying the game. I took time to get immersed in the story of it, the setting and taking the time to notice small details about the world. It's been overall great.

I just can't fathom why some people want to not play the game the way they want and go out of their way to grief other players. It's childish, immature and genuinelly ridiculous.

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EDIT : I hear y'all about the vibe of community being slightly gone since the PvE test. And I do agree. However, the community feel and player interaction that I was looking for only happened for me during the release window of the game. I did play a little bit after and when I did, even if I was in so called "PvE lobbies", I always got ratted on and killed at extract.

For the "the player numbers came up because of the new content", it's not a wrong statement, however, every time there was a major update, most of the posts/videos/forum disscussions i've seen are always negative and the player numbers went back to low or even lower.

I bought this game expecting a different experience from EFT and Marathon and other extraction shooters. I was hoping for less KOS and toxicity and during the launch period it was exactly how I wanted. Now (even before the PvE test) it's extremely toxic, KOS mostly all the time (even at the low end of ABMM).

I don't play PvP games as much as I used to when I was younger. And with a life with responsabilities and stress, I can't hold up with the crowd that plays all the time. Call it skill issue or whatever but I want to be able to explore this amazing world that Embark created. I do strongly believe that there's a place for everyone on this game and I do hope that Embark finds a way to make it work.

I play a lot of the Divison franchise, wich has both PvE, PvP and PvPvE. Even tho it's not the completely same game genre, there's a lot of similar gameplay sysytems and do think that Embark should look into it.

What im really shocked by is the way that some people really want to just ruin people's experience when what people that play PvE want is to experience the game at their own pace without the feeling of having to match up to the skill ceilling of people that do nothing but play the game all day.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been reading a lot of the recent posts and comments complaining about the addition of a PvE mode, and honestly, I don't think it's as bad as many people here are making it out to be.

First off, having a separate space to just enjoy the gunplay, loop, world design, and progression without having to deal with extract campers or hyper-sweaty PvP teams is actually a solid option to have. Sometimes you just want a more casual run or want to test setups and learn maps without constant pressure.

Secondly, I keep seeing people argue that "it splits the playerbase." Honestly, I think that's a take that misses the bigger picture:

Player Retention: Players who dislike forced PvP wouldn't stay in the main PvPvE mode anyway—they’d just quit the game entirely. A PvE mode actually keeps them playing ARC Raiders.

Gateway to PvP: Having a safer environment allows newer or more casual players to get comfortable with mechanics. Over time, many of those players will naturally try out the full experience once they feel confident.

If ARC Raiders builds a healthy, active core overall, queue times won't be an issue regardless.

I get that people love the intense risk/reward of the PvPvE loop, but having options isn't going to ruin the game. Does anyone else actually feel positive (or at least indifferent) about this addition? Curious to hear your thoughts!

After 2 days of playing PvE.

Arc Raiders in its current format is not a cooperative only game. It was designed as an extraction shooter where other players and the ARC are both threats. I love all types of games, but lets be clear here, trying to mash that mixed format into a players versus ARC only experience creates a substandard experience for all people involved.

Look through the feedback channel on the discord. Most of the players asking for an ARC only mode are actually suggesting its too easy and dont like the core concept of the game. They like fighting the Arc and the current design is too easy.

Here is my pitch: Keep Arc Raiders as the extraction game it is, make a dedicated cooperative game without the design constraints of the current game.

Take ALL the assets in The Finals and Arc Raiders and make a dedicated wave defense game against ARC. Remove the need for looting at scale for progression and have it be a normal coop experience with its own progression system. A separate sku with a unique experience tailored to the type of player that wants it.

The Finals is the PVP game

Arc Raiders is the extraction game where other raiders and the ARC are both the threat

(Insert title) is the coop game where the ARC is the only threat

All are based on the same IP, the same universe, but ultimately give agency to people to play the game they want. They can even use the same Maps and same launcher if they wanted, just don’t compromise the integrity of the existing games further by trying to make a game that appeals to everyone but pleases nobody.

Instead work within the independent verticals respecting the design constraints provided by the needs of each game type.

Everyone that bought Arc Raiders bought it knowing other players were part of the danger. However, the coop crowd clearly loves this game though so its really an opportunity for Embark.

If they are going to add an ARC only option, I would prefer they limit the scope to trials and instanced private sessions that rotate maps and spawns week in week out (true competitive coop where you can control the variables). You only extract with what you brought in (what you didnt use) and let the looting be forced into the main game where other raiders are present. Embark made it super easy to loot and scoot safely, theres no need to bubble wrap everyone at the expense of the games economy.

Freekits and ABMM already give players agency to loot and farm in solos unimpeded 99% of the time once they adapt to being friendly for 10+ raids. Getting over gear fear is a normal part of these games and thats what the freekit is supposed to enable. However giving people the ability to “spend” and use their gear to kill things unimpeded or encumbered by third parties would probably be the closest thing to a compromise I could come up with.

Embark, please dont kill the magic you created, people choosing to be friendly, or not, and communicating in game is the magic of this game. But, also give the coop players the title they deserve instead of baking in a constant recurring design dilemma of balancing a proverbial house of cards on a tightrope in Arc Raiders....

Edit: added TL:DR because I forgot 70% of people just read the headline and look for a TLDR. (/s sorta)

TL:DR Keep Arc Raiders PVPVE and Make a different dedicated PVE game so the devs can make informed design choices for the target audience.

I miss carebear lobbies. I miss the vibe and camaraderie.

Since PVE came in, no one really talks, and all we've done is invite the douccbags into our side of the game.

When fighting a big Arc, if you went down, people would be queuing up to help you. Since PVE came in, all they do is stand around and wait for you to die.

I'm Brazilian, my English may not be sharp, but definitely my points here will be.

I was absurdly frustrated with my experience throughout Arc Raiders. I bought it on PS5 in November last year, and fell in love instantly, the movement, enemies, sound design, style, songs and players interaction were incredible, outstanding compared to other games and online multiplayer's before.

I've actually started playing The Finals after AR, but never really got into it since PvP isn't too appealing for me. I've always played games like TF2, COD, BF, etc. But after OW1, For Honor and Warzone (2020-2021) it felt like something wasn't clicking anymore. Maybe I'm not as good as I was at aiming, tracking and moving like a psycho-crackhead-fortnite teenager, maybe I'm getting old, and honestly I'm really ok with that, focusing on single player experiences, not to hardcore multiplayers and so on. I have loved playing coops since forever, from the PlayStation 2, 4, PC and now a PS5. I still do, but, there is something that impacts a lot on such experiences: time.

I'm not a teenager in highschool anymore, I'm 26, graduated working in a job that is honestly pretty ok compared to others where I live. Brazil recently approved an amendment to its constitution to ban a work shift of 6 days working and only 1 resting (fim da escala 6x1 if you want to search more about that). A friend of mine is working in a greasy spoon "lanchonete" in the countryside of São Paulo, still in the 6x1, the only time that he has, he rests, plans his life and programs himself studying and applying for better jobs. Another friend lives in the capital São Paulo and was working in a company from 9am to 9/10pm 5x2. Other friends in schools (more than one), are researchers as post-graduation programs in a Federal University, works in events such as proms, party's and so on, other's really doesn't have a proper job and simply get freelance here and there to pay them bills in the end of the month.

Why have I dropped Arc Raiders before? I was tired of spending hours and hours getting resources and jumping in a lobby to do some events and farm some points to get skins and them getting shot in the back by someone who pretended to be friendly, or get jumped by a trio while playing solo, or simply getting killed by a maniac who plays like it has shoved a 6 pack Monster Energy into they butthole and got the controller. Git gud? Maybe, but let's be honest. Why should I come back after so many frustrating experiences? Really, and I'm not talking here as a casual non-player. I play everyday games like The Finals, Elden Ring, Metal Gear and so on. Until a few months back I was in my currently job and in a post-graduation program in a Federal University too, had little time to play since I live with my partner and two cats. We have responsibilities with them and the house, we have bills to pay. But I've mentioned that I've never fell into TF, except something happened: the PvE mode has dropped into it and since them I ONLY PLAY PVE MODE (going to finish this season emerald 1 btw). Why? It's easy, still challenging for a non-crackhead-teenager player who has to work do something besides doomscrolling AND I can invite two friends with me to play and get a pretty chill vibe while we talk and update each other's about our lives.

"But Arc Raiders introduce it's self as a PvPvE game, you've bought it knowing that" - Sure, but since launch this game have consistently dropped it's player base, representing a lot of things, and one of them that I bet is that a few o those who kept playing are some Tarkov fans who really likes a hardcore and punishing experience. AND IT STILL "PVE" IN THE "PVPVE", so why not just admit that some players maybe not as you John Hardcore Arc Raiders, and that they just want a fucking chill experience while playing this beautiful game, killing clankers and help others with a defib, assist with arc kills and so on?

If the PvE mode do not stay as a permanent mode, the player base will decrease soon. Because people will get more frustrated by being killed? Maybe. But more important than that is:

TIME

I'm giving this report as a player who is convinced that this game may be saved if PvE continues. Some casual players that doesn't have a bunch of hours to farm and prepared for a full blast pvp Stela Montis still have they're right to play the game if they want, in a way that they really feel comfortable to. After all, they all payed for it.

If you really have a problem with this type of players, maybe you should reconsider your life and decisions that may have influenced into the foundation of these thoughts and why they persist. Time is important, a few of us players still want the get back to Speranza with a full backpack and some good stories about riding a Rocketeer, planting a Deadline into a spider clank and so on. What is the problem with that?

Really expects that Embark adds PvE mode definitely after the test ends.

What do you think about it?

(Don't know how to adjust the focus, but in the picture it's me and my friend in our first PvE lobby)

What is wrong with a part of this community ? There is a real question here. Not to mention the fake threads posted every 5 min about "pure pve player hating pve" or making a thread with a completely made up story ?

If you are really a pure pvp player your lobbies won't even be affected by it.

Can't you understand that the PVE toggle is the ONLY way to play as a trio chilling around and destroying big arcs with fully modded weapons, because trios lobbies are always a bloodbath since release ?

Fr this sub is WWII since tuesday

This is such an interesting experience.

This experiment has really opened my eyes, “care bears” lobbies only have “fake nice people” because you can kill them. Who would have thought 😆? The possibility of getting shot in the face makes people act right.

There is a huge difference between PVE mode and care bare lobbies. Having the possibility to be shot does amazing things to people psychology.

In the PVE mode, you get to see people’s true colors. A bunch of loot stealing, rude, ignoring each other, selfish people. 😄

I used to feel bad when I shot people in this game. But now I think to myself , more than likely this guys probably a douche bag scum Lord anyways lol fuck em.

The devs were right about PVE btw

Title. Self-explanatory. If you think about it, embark split us up. They created different experiences for us. They experimented on us. And we fight over something completely artificial. It’s pathetic. If it never existed, no care bear lobbies would exist. Nor would the KoS lobbies. It would be a PvPvE game by design with everyone playing by the same rules. And I don’t think the holy war in the community would reach such obscene heights as it does now. What do you think?

I don't get the complaints about "pve" only. The game had already become shoot on sight in trios (not solos). A few months ago my friends and I tried 7 straight queen/matriarch and got shot in the back each time. After that we gave up and never tried anything other than pvp in trios and stopped playing altogether. Now we actually took down queens and arc albeit with less loot and everyone trying to steal it but it was fun shooting arc again never the less. It's been fun getting back in to the game and alternating pve toggle on and off. I can't imagine anyone being upset about it other than they are mad they can't get easy kills anymore.

We see this line all the time, as a way to minimize and dismiss people's frustrations with other player's behavior.

The thing is, though, that this argument is only actually valid if you were talking about a single player game where your actions only affected NPCs.

But what we are actually talking about here is a multiplayer game where you play with other people. Real living and breathing actual people who have lives and emotions, who put their real time and effort and even hard-earned money into this game.

When you choose to fuck with other players for your own entertainment and satisfaction, you simply cannot, repeat CANNOT hide behind this excuse, because even though it is "just a game" you are still fucking with real people.

You don't know what the other person is going through. Maybe they are struggling in their life. Maybe it's a child! Maybe they just want to relax and have a good time in a video game after a long, hard day. And you're choosing to ruin that real person's fun, ruing that real person's day, just for your own entertainment. That's fucked up. Seriously.

That's why it is indeed completely legitimate and valid to call this behavior sociopathic, or at the very least unempathetic. Because your actions do in fact affect another real person's life.

If you want to get real philosophical about it, regardless of whether our actions are "in real life" in "in a video game", that doesn't really matter because ultimately it's all the same thing. It's all "life". It's all "reality". We are all consciousnesses acting through a substrate, and it doesn't matter if that substrate is physical or virtual. It's all part of the same reality. And regardless of the substrate, our actions still affect other conscious beings.

So yes, your actions in a multiplayer game like this does indeed actually show your actual character as a person. You can't escape it. It just does.

At the end of the day, you're still a fucking asshole if you deliberately choose to ruin other people's fun and ruin other people's day just to entertain yourself. You CANNOT hide behind "it's just a game". It's a worthless excuse. At least just own the fact that you're an asshole.

Rant over.

PS: I would be pleasantly surprised if this post actually reached anyone. I'm sure many responses will just be "don't play this game then if you're that fragile", or "it's just not that deep bro", or "jesus you carebears are insufferable". It's all been said before and it's all boringly predictable. So if you wanna comment something like that, feel free, but just know you're being painfully unoriginal.

As long as it’s properly balanced, I don’t see why this mode should ever go away 🤷‍♂️

Call me crazy but this cannot stay in the game as is. 50 minutes of actively playing and I’m struggling to fit reactors in my stash?

There’s no threat in these lobbies, if you die to arc you’re either under-kitted or are an absolute Bob. It’s way too easy and I don’t want to see people get bored and leave Arc again.

I’ve had more fun trying to kill people in PvE then I’ve had in PvP in ages. I quit playing this game 2-3 months ago because the duping was so damn bad. Just started back playing again today and I’m having a blast trying to get people killed by ARC or fall damage. I’ve played a mixture of PvP and PvE today and I’ve come out with way more loot off players like weapons and attachments in PvE than PvP. Just the game of trying to get them is just hilarious. Using Yank grenades is one of my favorites. People are like hyenas when they see a dead player. Just so hungry to try and get their loot they’re oblivious.

Free weekend is over. In no world are all these players playing just the regular PVPVE mode. I know there’s hate, but PVE has saved Arc Raiders and I can’t see any valid counter argument.

Stop gatekeeping people’s fun. Nothing has changed for those that don’t want to play PVE. If anything the test is bringing back a LOT of players that had uninstalled it.

Both modes can live happily alongside one another.

X

I remember how it was at launch. And I want it to be like that again.

Let friendly people be friendly. Let rats be rats. Let shooters shoot and looters loot. The magic of this game is in PVPVE.

I'd gladly stay in mixed lobbies because that's where the true game is. If it wasn't so easy to slip out of them into either PVP hell or PVE carebears.

I think PVE mode proves that game is not the issue, the players are. The tension of knowing that you might get shot at any moment is crucial and necessary. Just dissolve rats and griefers in the bigger playerbase of adequate players and it'll be fine. Sure you'll encounter them sometimes and it could be frustrating, but it's part of the game at the end of the day.

Like come on people, what are we doing? Devs had a true masterpiece at the beginning and now the game is split into three different ones and I've got a feeling that they have no idea how to manage them now.

I'll even accept the idea of getting a single player PVE lobbies with reduced loot so PVE players would have somewhere to hang out and stock up before venturing into the wildlands.

Its frankly worth keeping i was originally opposed to it but as i play more and more i realize it really just deadens the game stress and rage inducing issues. Theres less mixed lobbies but even then its whatever

it only effects solos in my opinion and even then im sure you can still find mixed lobbies. Everyone can kinda get what they want. I mostly pvp and its really nice to be able to juat go in stack up like 80k and get out without having to completely focus on not getting killed by other people.

Pvpve will still even have a pve use case in the sense that you are less likely to get loot stolen or have people as a whole hunting other arcs. Leaving alot of space for more risk taking arc killing players to dive in and snatch their pickings. Im like 80% pvp with over 8k knocks and its really not bad.

I feel like no one really loses out except the people who are just betraying other players which can honestly still be done if you are a good enough talker.

I do think that if they keep it they should just add more of an incentive for pvers to go into the riskier mode. Maybe lock some quests and items behind it or make specific items like magnetic accelerators etc only pvpve. You should be forced to play both modes but i honestly think it was a pretty good addition frankly although i was originally opposed

I’ve been playing games for a long time, especially online multiplayer. I’ve had some bad experiences throughout the years, but I’ve never seen as much toxicity as I have with ARC Raiders.

The high level of antisocial and psychotic behavior, the ratting, griefing behavior has been unprecedented.

I played PvE last night for the first time back on ARC Raiders since February when I stopped. Second match in two random guys randomly started following my brother and I and they weren’t talking on the mic or even emoting. Just creepily watching us. This lasted for like 15 minutes.

We finally made it to extraction and they immediately started bull-rushing us off the computer. My brother blocked them to let me finish extraction. I immediately began talking asking them what their problem was and they proceeded to turn their mics on and talk shit.

Between the traditional ratty behavior and now antisocial psychotic pricks going into PvE with the deliberate intention of ruining the experience for others, it is something I haven’t seen to this extent with any game ever. And it is a direct result of Embark not enforcing their own TOS and letting ratty, griefing behavior persist for a year now with no check on the behavior. This is one of the main reasons why their player count declined 96% over the year.

I hope Embark sees this and will hopefully finally do something about this behavior. And I hope we don’t have to wait 6 months for a fix.

I have logged in to play w some duo and trio friends this week and everyone picks pve, not because it’s more fun, but just the success rate is so high.

Do you want to pass some equipment off to a friend? Nobody can take it so no worries headed to hatch.

Do you need, to farm literally anything in the game? No worries whatsoever.

Do you need to spam grocery shop the emperor and moon walk to extract? Easy.

Emperor is much more challenging to complete and survive in regular mode so itll be a rude awakening when the mode goes away. This will likely make people clamor to get it back not because it’s enjoyable but because it’s just easy.

I don’t know. We have played for about 5 hours in duos and trios and there was no sense of adventure in this mode. We were just running errands w 100% success rate. Sometimes completely on separate parts of the map because thee is no need to stick together or look out for each other. Even if for some reason someone does go down. You can get across the entire map to rez before the timer goes out.

And putting it on players to actively select a much much more challenging mode just doesn’t work.
People will always choose the mode that maximizes the chance for success, even if it’s less fun. People will choose pve mode unless the goal is just to literally PvP.

Oh great minds of reddit can you enlighten me, am I doing something wrong? EU friendly PvPvE lobbies, I go up the frigate as soon as I can, mostly the stuff is already looted, people do the middle part but have no idea about the upper cores, get swarmed, just loot everything and leave and I tried 3 times already and can't finish it because people only care about the loot on the surface. I want to finish it for the quest, but I died once in those 3 times because I ran out of time, and 2 other times it just ate my resources and I basically got nothing - like on the screenshot. Is it better in NA lobbies? Can someone tell me before I go through all of my resources again.

We heard it for weeks and days recently by the naysayers hating PVE, they promised very long queue times because of the PVE toggle.

Of course it's not happening and it's a myth.

Have a nice day all,