Arc Raiders Developer Acknowledges Players Are More Supportive Than the Team Itself

Somehow, Arc Raiders has built a community that isn’t entirely ruthless. In fact, many players are surprisingly friendly. This has left the developers at Embark Studios quite impressed, as they expected a more cutthroat environment.

Robert Sammelin, the art director at Embark, shared insights about the player community. “We were hoping to create a balance where players might feel a bit cautious about how they interact with one another,” he explained. “There’s this underlying tension, a sense of threat, but the larger danger posed by the arcs could encourage cooperative gameplay.”

He noted that during their internal testing, the developers anticipated a different dynamic based on their own playstyles. “When we playtested among ourselves, we were definitely more aggressive than the community tends to be,” he remarked. “We hoped to see cooperation, but the level of camaraderie at launch has been heartwarming and uplifting.”

Indeed, it’s refreshing. Arc Raiders encourages players to be ruthless, as you can loot fallen players for their gear. You might see someone gather valuable items, take them out, and claim the spoils for yourself. However, the reality is that this behavior is less common than expected, and the stats back this up.

“We have data on how many players have been taken down by others, and the numbers are surprisingly low,” Sammelin revealed. “Playing in a squad versus solo also creates a different experience, which influences how players engage with the game.”

Could the menacing robots be a factor in this unexpected kindness? Or perhaps players aren’t as toxic as typical multiplayer experiences suggest. Arc Raiders demonstrates that success doesn’t require a toxic environment, which is a win in itself.