"Perhaps this is more a signal that the game could support more player types."
Arc Raiders recently ended its first-ever test for a dedicated PvE mode, following months of player requests. While feedback has generally been favourable, developer Embark has gone quiet about whether the mode will return as a permanent addition.
There's a reason for that: Embark doesn't appear to have made a decision internally. Speaking to MP1st, executive producer Aleksander Grøndal said the team is currently looking through the data and there are several factors to consider.
"Now that we've concluded the PvE matchmaking toggle test, we're doing a deep dive into what that means," said Grøndal. "Of course, we were a bit skeptical about bringing such a mode to the game for historical reasons, but now we need to discuss what we want to do going forward."
The "historical reasons" Grøndal is likely referring to is the fact Arc Raiders started out as a purely PvE co-op shooter, before Embark pivoted during development and created the extraction PvPvE shooter we know today.
Since Arc Raiders' release, however, two different audiences emerged: players who love the uncertainty and higher stakes excitement PvP creates, and those who simply want to engage with the game's deep PvE mechanics without having to worry about other players.
"I think the game has an appeal in its nature and that a certain player type wants to play the game without the stress, you know? Perhaps this is more a signal that the game could support more player types, and we need to figure out how to support that," he explained.
The challenge, according to Grøndal, is creating something that caters to the two different groups of players "without undermining the premise of the game itself". To do that, Embark needs to find the PvE mode's true purpose.
"We need to understand what the need is here," Grøndal explained. "Is it more a chill side mode you can play between more intense PvPvE rounds? Is it more a challenge mode that you can test your skills against AI? Or perhaps it's a full experience with PvE only?"
Indeed, Grøndal previously said that offering two distinct modes for Arc Raiders' different audiences is a possible future for the game, so all options are seemingly being considered, even if the developer can't offer a concrete answer today. "All options will have different implications on how we build future game updates," Grøndal added.
Arc Raiders recently released its biggest update, Frozen Trail, which saw player numbers shoot up to highs the extraction shooter hasn't witnessed in six months.
