Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Embark Weighs Changes to Arc Raiders Late-Spawn System After Player Frustration

Designed to prevent empty lobbies, the system is under review for targeted tweaks that protect single-objective runs.

Overview

  • Design lead Virgil Watkins publicly acknowledged that late spawns can leave players without enough time for intended objectives and called that experience "not great."
  • Embark is actively discussing adjustments, with priority on scenarios like trials where a single goal can be invalidated by a late join.
  • The studio says late spawns were introduced to stop raids from thinning out after roughly 10 minutes, preserving tension and lobby health.
  • Telemetry cited by Embark indicates late joiners often "economically profit" by encountering quieter sessions, remnants of fights, or high-value targets.
  • Players frequently report joining raids with about 17–25 minutes remaining, a long-running pain point the team has now addressed publicly without announcing specific changes.