ARC Raiders, the game we seem to only cover when it’s delayed, actually has something exciting to share this time around. No, it’s not a date yet, but is a proper look at the game, HUD activated and all.
This technically It’s not our first look at gameplay, but since Arc Raiders has evolved from a co-op shooter (when it was initially announced in 2021) to an extraction shooter, here’s an updated look at what kind of game it is now. . certainly due.
ARC Raiders is the other big project in the works at Embark Studios, the DICE veteran team that has so far released the excellent free-to-play multiplayer shooter The Finals. This week’s gameplay reveal trailer offers around six minutes of footage, captured from a playtest conducted last month.
Before getting into the action, the trailer offers a quick summary of the premise, revealing more of the state of the world than we’ve seen previously. In ARC Raiders, squads of up to three players venture out into the world to gather supplies, collect data, and solve mysteries, all while staying alert for AI enemies and other players trying to do the same.
Much of what’s shown in this narrated trailer should be familiar to players of extraction shooters. There’s a lot of loot hunting and completing small tasks to earn rewards that players will hopefully survive long enough to bring back to base.
One of the more interesting mechanics shown in the trailer are the red flares, which indicate that a rival raider has been downed, effectively inviting others to investigate a certain area. Of course, this could be the result of a PvP matchup or a simple PvE encounter.
It all relates to how the game handles encounters with other players, because you’re not expected to confront them right away. The trailer shows the player asking the rival to team up and split the loot. All the action takes place in third person, of course, but we only see the use of a few basic firearms, which could indicate something of a shortage of powerful weapons.
ARC Raiders arrives sometime in 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
