ARC Raiders was first announced as a cooperative PvE shooter, then reborn as a PvPvE extraction shooter. After the server slam, a lot of players have been asking for a PvE only mode. However, a recent video from Embark Studios explains why that change happened, and honestly, their reasoning makes a lot of sense.
According to the team, creating a deep, sustainable PvE-only game simply was not realistic for a smaller studio. A pure PvE title needs endless new missions, smarter AI, and scaling difficulty to keep players hooked. That kind of constant content demand is tough even for big AAA teams.
PvPvE – A Smarter Path for a Smaller Studio
Instead of chasing endless missions, Embark leaned into what they could realistically sustain. In a PvPvE world, once the core combat feels good, players themselves generate the variety. Human opponents create tension and unpredictability, and that helps make every match feel different because you never know who you will run into.
Meanwhile, AI-controlled “Arc bots” still act as important threats, keeping things chaotic without needing constant new content. It is a really nice balance.
The Reality – PvE Games Are Hard to Maintain
Embark’s explanation also points out a larger truth across the industry. Even huge studios struggle to keep PvE games alive. Destiny 2, for example, has issues for years despite Bungie’s bigger budget.
Helldivers 2 managed to pull it off for a bit, but even that saw repetition settle in once its missions became predictable.
On the other side, PvP-focuses titles rely more on mechanics and less on endless new maps or missions. If the core gameplay is strong, the game sort of sustains itself.
PvE vs PvP – The Endless Debate
For some players, though, this still stings. Many simply prefer fighting AI over the unpredictability (and sometimes toxicity) of PvP encounters. But as Embark points out, every decision will matter when you know others might be nearby, and that is how they want players to feel.
At its best, that mix of danger and strategy keeps sessions exciting without burning through new content. And for a studio without infinite resources, it is a smart tradeoff.
It is rare to see a developer openly admit their limitations. By focusing on what is sustainable and engaging long-term, they might actually avoid the trap so many other shooters fall into.
In short, ARC Raiders did not abandon PvE. It just evolved into something that might actually survive.
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