ARC Raiders is Now a PvPvE Extraction Shooter; Closed Alpha Test Starts This Summer

A few hours ago, Embark Studios provided an update on ARC Raiders. Originally announced as the studio's debut project, it was postponed to make way for the team-based multiplayer first-person shooter THE FINALS.

However, there were other reasons behind the delay. ARC Raiders has been restructured from a purely PvE cooperative shooter to a PvPvE survival extraction shooter in the vein of Escape from Tarkov, Hunt: Showdown, or The Cycle: Frontier.

The official game description was updated as a result, too.

About a decade ago, a mysterious mechanized threat appeared here. They’re known as ARC.

People have fled to the underground colony of Speranza, seeking supplies to survive, and shelter from the machines. Demand for resources is at an all-time high. But getting those resources is a risky job, and it isn’t for everyone.

But it is a job for you.
That’s why you’ve enlisted as a Raider, scavenging for vital supplies that are scattered across the landscape. Everything from leftovers from yesterday’s run-in with ARC to the unlikely remains of a pinball machine.

Out there, the stakes are high, and you will have to fight for your loot. Lethal ARC machines roam the surface. And there are no rules in Calabretta, so beware of other Raiders.

With the traders in Speranza, trust is hard-earned and easily lost. You need to earn your keep. So don't come back from a quest empty-handed.
When you see another Raider chased by a swarm of ARC drones, do you go in for the kill? Do you lend a helping hand? Or do you hold back and feast on the valuable remains?

The good news is that ARC Raiders will soon be playable in a Closed Alpha test scheduled to take place this Summer. To sign up for it, you can head to the Steam page and click the Request Access button. The Closed Alpha test will be under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), so you won't be able to publicly discuss it or share any media captures if you are selected as a participant.

Given the timetable, it seems unlikely that ARC Raiders will receive a full launch before the year's end, though stranger things have happened.

Written by Alessio Palumbo