Arc Raiders’ success means upcoming roadmap needs dual PvP, PvE focus

Almost three months since Arc Raiders’ release date, the title is displaying real staying power among players and stream-watchers alike. However, having exited the Cold Snap on January 13, we don’t yet know what’s next. That’s not a huge problem as Embark is certainly hard at work, but it does afford us time to reflect on what seems needed.

In launching as a PvEvP title, Arc Raiders’ standout success quickly sparked calls for a specific PvE mode, a first-person view, and more quests and feats for those happily grinding Topside life. Amid the chatter of the first few months, both North Line and Cold Snap updates were strong, presenting Embark’s vision. Strength must now give way to flexibility.

The first week of 2026 was awash with news about Arc Raiders’ matchmaking system. While there had been prior rumours that aggression mattered, Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund confirmed this in a conversation with GamesBeat. The fact that Söderlund and squad were extraction camped in the same video was also satisfying. Just like the rest of us!

Arc Raiders’ gameplay is massively influenced by its matchmaking. It’s an integral system, and one that has established a fork in player experience. On the one hand, there are plenty of opportunities for PvP. On the other hand, the game can offer a cosy looter session filled with friendly lobbies for anyone who wants to stash trinkets and find new hidden nooks.

So now the PvP and PvE duality is firmly established. Yes, generally, there are calmer solo lobbies compared to chaotic party lobbies. Yet given the true ability to affect your game with your actions, Embark has allowed Raiders to effectively choose distinct PvP and PvE ‘modes’. This is ingenious, but it means Embark now needs to carry that promise forward.

Embark Studios is the architect of Arc Raiders ‘aggression-based matchmaking’, and it stated in November that it was impressed with what the community has made of the game. So, there’s no doubt the same devs have been taking notes on matchmaking’s impact. And they should be. If you ask this writer, upcoming updates need to consider the following.

New maps are certainly a yes in 2026. Lead designer, Virgil Watkins, has said: “There are going to be multiple maps coming this year, and I think it’s going to be across a spectrum of size to try to facilitate different types of gameplay. So you might see some that are smaller, and you might see some that are even grander than what we’ve got now.” That’s great.

These maps (if there’s space) need to be influenced by Rust Belt lore. But they also need to be solid for either PvP or gently pootling around picking up rubber ducks. I’m betting strong cover or cluttered areas for frenetic gameplay, as well as snipable distances and dangerous expanses. We also need Easter eggs, new RPG-esque quests, and tricky PvE puzzles. 

When it comes to the Arc threat, Embark has arguably only fostered PvE action to date (with map events), but both PvE and PvP need focus. We need giant Arc enemies that will unite Raiders like never before, like the lurking ‘Emperors’, possibly with a puzzle element. But why not Arcs that are attracted by firefights quickly and prove a real threat to duos and trios? 

Considering Arc Raiders’ crossplay success, larger slow, looming threats, the kind PC players typically love, and more immediate speed-demanding Arc are surely spots that the developers are looking to fill. Whole lobbies coming together is now part of the meta, but let’s take teamwork to a new level, while also ensuring parties have to watch their backs. 

For both sides of the PvP/PvE coin, a new look at weapons also seems sensible. Potentially a newly affirmed divide between Arc and Raider-focused gear. After all, who isn’t packing a Level 4 Sticher and Anvil/Venator combo for 99% of occasions? More defined PvE and PvP tools feel nothing short of sensible. Otherwise, why not pick a gun that does both?

Not to say there shouldn’t be any crossover in weapon viability at all, but maintaining the current Arc Raiders player count means loadout options with impact. Loadouts to reflect your playstyle, who you are, and how far into PvP or PvE you lean. I’m positive Embark is aware of such things, but how far they go with it remains to be determined.

Ultimately, the upcoming Arc Raiders roadmap will need to tie into lore. But the need for support for PvP and PvE now feels as integral as building out the Arc Raiders world itself. The game has never just been an extraction looter/shooter. It’s been a revelation as an RPG-style action-adventure title you can play how you want, PvP or otherwise.

So, for the time that you are in your raid, you want to be immersed in Topside, but also hunting Raiders, hunting loot, hunting Arc, or a little of all of these. PvP or PvE, or somewhere in the middle, Arc Raiders will already sort you into your lobby after working you out; it now needs to double down on supporting all playstyles as much as possible. 

Because if we go back to the game’s opening cinematics, we’re told by the trader Celeste, “Raiders may not follow orders, but they’ll follow a bounty if it’s high enough”. Raiders have been. It’s now the developers who need to follow the bounty. The bounty of ongoing success and a legacy of providing a game with a fine but definite dual PvP and PvE balance.