ARC Raiders is preparing to experiment with a major change to its formula. Embark Studios has announced a limited PvE matchmaking test that will let players temporarily leave hostile Raider encounters behind and focus on ARC machines and cooperative play.

The test will run from October 13 through October 20, 2026. During that period, players will be able to switch between the traditional PvPvE experience and the new PvE option through matchmaking.

How ARC Raiders PvE will work

Raiders exploring the surface during a raid in ARC Raiders
The test will let players switch between traditional PvPvE and PvE sessions with no player-to-player damage.

Player-to-player damage will be completely disabled in the PvE experience. Sessions will still bring Raiders together on the surface, but the focus will shift toward ARC threats, exploration, scavenging, quests and cooperative social dynamics.

Embark says the system is being designed around seamless switching between the two styles. A player could enter PvE for a more relaxed session and then return to PvPvE when looking for the added tension created by hostile Raiders.

Solo, Duo and Trio players will all be included together in PvE sessions during the test.

Some content will be excluded from PvE

Several of ARC Raiders' higher-tension conditions will not be part of the experiment. Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate will be excluded from PvE matchmaking.

Embark says these experiences were designed around higher tension and the uncertainty created by encountering different kinds of players.

Playing PvE sessions will also have no effect on a player's PvPvE matchmaking rating.

Loot value will be lower in PvE

ARC machines threatening Raiders during an ARC Raiders match
In PvE, ARC machines remain the main threat while overall loot value will be reduced.

Removing hostile players does not mean PvE will offer exactly the same rewards. Embark confirmed that overall loot value will be reduced to compensate for the relative safety provided by sessions without PvP.

There is also a specific change for Raiders downed by ARC machines. A downed player may be reacquired as a target if they keep crawling. Staying still will cause the ARC to ignore the player at that moment.

The idea is to preserve some tension even when the threat of hostile players has been removed.

Players can explore and complete quests with less PvP pressure

The test will allow players to scavenge, complete quests and explore in relative safety from other hostile Raiders. Embark says the initial goal is not to introduce separate PvE progression or artificially make PvE more difficult.

Instead, the experiment is designed to determine whether ARC Raiders has room for an alternative to PvP encounters while giving the studio player feedback and behavioral data to evaluate.

ARC Raiders originally started as a PvE game

The decision is especially notable because of the project's history. Embark revealed that when ARC Raiders was conceived years ago, its original vision was a raid-based cooperative PvE game with looting mechanics.

The project changed significantly during development before becoming the PvPvE extraction adventure players know today. The new test therefore revisits part of that original concept without replacing the core game.

Will the PvE mode become permanent?

Not yet. Embark explicitly describes the feature as a limited test.

When the test ends on October 20, the toggle will be removed and matchmaking will return to normal. Player feedback and data collected during the experiment will help shape the future of the system.

The announcement therefore does not confirm a permanent PvE mode. The test week is designed to determine whether the alternative should evolve and potentially return later.

Frozen Trail arrives before the PvE test

The experiment begins only days after another major ARC Raiders update. Frozen Trail is scheduled to arrive on October 8 with new content for the extraction adventure.

With Frozen Trail followed by the PvE test on October 13, October will provide an important look at how Embark plans to expand ARC Raiders without abandoning the PvPvE identity at the center of the game.