Arc Raiders Director Acknowledges Demand for Custom Loadouts, Shares Personal Struggles with Loadout Creation

Arc Raiders won’t be introducing loadouts next week, but the team at Embark Studios is definitely tuned in to the community’s desire for a quicker way to gear up.

Design lead Virgil Watkins shared insights on some of the current challenges in an interview. When asked about the possibility of implementing saved custom loadouts that would allow players to easily craft or equip their preferred gear with a single click, Watkins confirmed, “all of this stuff is things we’ve talked about.”

He explained that, similar to features like the Expedition, the focus has been on what the team could realistically achieve before launch. “Now it’s about figuring out how to prioritize this alongside other essential tasks, or possibly shifting priorities based on what’s feasible.”

I mentioned to Watkins that I often resort to using a free loadout after dying, even when my stash is full, simply because navigating through numerous menus feels overwhelming in the moment. He responded, “I’ve literally done the same thing,” acknowledging that sometimes it’s just easier to jump in without the hassle. “It’s completely acknowledged.”

While Watkins refrained from speaking on behalf of the UI/UX team, he did highlight the benefits of saved loadouts. “I think that’s a completely valuable thing, where it just attempts to do its best job to fulfill your request with your loadout,” he noted. “It’s like, ‘Well, you’re short on this resource and that resource, here’s what you get,’ that type of thing.”

He also mentioned that the team has worked hard to streamline matchmaking. “If we can, not to say keep you out of the front end, but get you through the front end faster, I think that’s a great ambition too. Because you’re like, let’s get back in there. There are moments in games where friction is beneficial, but sifting through a bunch of menus isn’t one of them.”

Watkins also clarified that while they can track player actions, the concept of aggression-based matchmaking is somewhat misleading. “We don’t do anything like skill-based matchmaking or gear-based.”