Overview
- Embark Studios will run the limited PvE-only toggle for Arc Raiders from Oct. 13–20, letting players switch between the standard PvPvE queue and a PvE-only queue during the test.
- In the PvE queue players will be unable to damage each other, solos, duos and trios will be pooled together, and loot rewards will be slightly reduced to offset the lower risk.
- Embark cites player-segmentation data showing 37% of users favor friendly co-op, 34% prefer pure PvP and 27% mix both, and reports that just over half of surveyed players have expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option.
- Developers warned the experiment could lessen the extraction-style tension that defines Arc Raiders, change how easily players can extract valuable loot and lengthen queue times, and they stressed the test is not a guarantee of a permanent mode.
- The trial follows the Frozen Trail content drop and earlier matchmaking tweaks and a Chinese-region PvE test, and Embark says it will use player feedback and telemetry from this week-long run to decide next steps.