ARC Trader

Truth is scarce and rumors spread. The Flashpoint is coming. 31.03.26

🛠️ Attention, Raiders! We've just rolled out a fresh hotfix to address some issues introduced in this week's update: • Fixed different instances of client and server crashes. • Fixed several server performance issues. • Fixed certain instances where crouch was skipping the recovery time after a dodge roll, which will also impact the Il Toro. • Fixed some Patchwork customization items displaying before they should, it may take some time for it to take effect. Please note that the image of the Patchwork outfit for the second Expedition has an incorrect bandolier toggle, which will be introduced later as the third Expedition reward. Restart your client to download, see you topside, Raiders!

My issues with ARC Raiders after 600hours. There are plenty of pros, this game is a gem on so many levels. However, I see a trend that isn't promising. There is almost disregard for any long term incentive systems. PvPvE extraction puts it in a weird place. It's neither a PvP centric extraction with forced wipes, which refreshes the experience, like others. Nor is it like FINALS, or PUBG which has its established self-sustaining PVP loop (almost no content needed there). And Embark seems to pull their inspiration from all those. The difference for ARC is, It doesn't have a PVP loop, there are no in-game PVP objectives. And the PVE loop which is great, is HIGHLY dependent on streamlined content. They can neither produce enough content for the PVE loop, nor can they fall back on a PVP loop to keep retention. Which makes this game extremely dependent on seasonal filler. So far those have only been Trials and Expeditions, both of which are lacking in a major way. They need to keep players engaged while they work on new content. Their Achilles Heel, is that they opted for optional wipes. Without forcing them, they cannot buy themselves enough time to produce the next piece of content. Which leads me to Expedition incentives. For the system to work as is, they desperately need to incentivize most players, especially those who consume content fast, to do the Expeditions. It is, after all, the core of an extraction shooter. Without it, players are left sitting on their hands in between content drops. And that's when they find something else to play and often end up not returning. The momentum is severed. This brings me to my initial concern, I feel like Embark is not fully conscious of this relationship, perhaps lots of new players are skewing their data. If Expeditions, (and to some extent trials and hopefully new seasonal content) are not FAR more incentivized with fantastic rewards, we will end up in a stagnation. So far, there has been no effort whatsoever to do just that. In fact, it seems the opposite is true. While developers had recently promised to work on Expeditions, based on the below post, they will be offering the same underwhelming rewards as they have been in Expedition 3, down to the same outfit. I worry that they will only realize how this can become an issue for retention, when the downtrend becomes irreversible. The game will certainly not die, not what I'm suggesting, but it will lose a lot of its retention potential and players. I hope the folks over there, zoom out and look at a few months down the line, and consider the long term retention strategy. For now Expeditions are the only pillar this game has, and as such need to be properly incentivized. It has been treated like the least important aspect of the game, while it's the most vital one of them all, and one on which every other change or addition will depend on.