Arc Raiders to Test PvE-Only Co-op Matchmaking for One Week in October

Arc Raiders is preparing a limited PvE-only co-op matchmaking test in October, giving players a temporary way to enter the extraction shooter without the threat of fighting other human squads. Embark Studios says the experiment will run from October 13 through October 20, and will help the team determine whether a dedicated PvE option has a long-term place in the game.

For the duration of the test, players will be able to select either the established PvPvE matchmaking format or a PvE-only queue. The new option removes player-versus-player damage entirely, meaning squads and solo players cannot hurt one another. It is a major adjustment for a game whose familiar extraction loop has been built around hostile Arc machines, valuable loot, uncertain alliances, and the constant possibility that another player could turn a run into a fight.

The change is explicitly temporary for now. Once the test ends, the PvE toggle will be removed and normal matchmaking will resume. Embark is framing the week as a chance to gather player feedback and gameplay data rather than as confirmation that a permanent mode is on the way.

How the Arc Raiders PvE test will work

The PvE-only matchmaking pool will combine solo players, duos, and trios rather than separating them into different queues. Crucially, there will be zero player-to-player damage between anyone inside that matchmaking option. Players may still share a world and contend with its environmental dangers and Arc threats, but they will not have to worry about being shot, ambushed, or betrayed by another group.

For useful background on this topic, read Bungie Maps Out Marathon's New PvE, Team Deathmatch and Onboarding Overhaul.

That lower-risk environment will come with an economic adjustment. Players will receive slightly less loot in the PvE queue. The reasoning is straightforward: extraction becomes less dangerous when there is no chance of a rival team taking a hard-earned haul at the last second. Reduced rewards are intended to acknowledge that difference and prevent safe runs from becoming the dominant way to build up supplies and valuable gear.

Embark has not presented the lower-loot rule as a complete solution to the balance questions created by the mode. A PvE queue could still alter how quickly players gather resources, complete objectives, experiment with equipment, and prepare for conventional runs. The test is therefore as much about observing the economy as it is about measuring whether players enjoy a less confrontational version of Arc Raiders.

Why Embark is testing a dedicated PvE option

The decision follows a clear signal from the game's player data. Embark says that 37% of players are focused on friendly co-op, and that this segment has continued to grow since launch. Another 34% are described as pure PvP players, while 27% enjoy both sides of the experience. Taken together, the studio says that a little more than half of the player base has expressed interest in a dedicated PvE choice.

Those figures help explain why the developer is willing to revisit an idea that has long hovered around Arc Raiders. The game was initially conceived as a PvE-focused project before shifting into the PvPvE extraction shooter that players know today. That transition placed the uncertainty of human opponents at the center of each expedition, turning every encounter into a question: is this another crew looking to cooperate, ignore you, or take what you have?

Even so, the studio has continued to explore ways to accommodate players whose priorities differ from the all-purpose extraction formula. Matchmaking has previously been adjusted in an effort to place especially aggressive players into separate pools. A full PvE mode was also tested earlier in the game's Chinese version. The October trial takes that interest further by putting a PvE-only option directly alongside the standard format for a defined period.

The risk: losing the tension that defines extraction shooters

Embark has been direct that the experiment carries meaningful risks. Arc Raiders draws much of its drama from the tension created by other players. Even when a team never fires a shot at a rival, simply knowing that a distant noise, opened door, or incoming extraction could bring another squad into the picture changes how people move through the world.

In a PvE-only environment, players can concentrate on the Arc enemies and the wider world without that extra layer of suspicion. For many co-op fans, that could make missions more approachable and more relaxing. It could also allow strangers to cooperate more freely, since there is no mechanical possibility of one group suddenly attacking another.

For other players, however, removing PvP may strip away the uncertainty that makes successful extraction feel significant. The pressure of carrying rare equipment while listening for footsteps or deciding whether to risk an objective is fundamental to the genre. Without human competition, the rhythm of a run could feel very different even if the enemies, map, and extraction points remain the same.

Embark has stressed that the PvE test is not a commitment to a future permanent mode, but an indication that the studio is seriously considering the possibility.

That caution matters because the developer is not treating player demand as the only factor. It must also consider whether the new queue preserves enough of Arc Raiders' identity, whether its reward structure remains fair, and whether separate matchmaking options affect the health of the broader community.

Loot balance and queue times will be closely watched

One of the most practical issues is how PvE-only runs may affect progression. Even with reduced loot, a queue without player threats can give squads a more predictable route to extraction. Players can learn locations, pursue resources, and take on PvE encounters without budgeting for the chance that another team will interrupt the plan. This could make the mode particularly attractive to players looking to collect items, unlock equipment, or simply practice.

That accessibility is one of the test's potential benefits. A dedicated PvE queue could create an entry point for people who like Arc Raiders' setting, co-op action, and extraction systems but dislike direct competitive combat. It could also give established players a different social space for playing with friends who are less comfortable with PvP.

At the same time, Embark will need to assess whether lower loot is enough to maintain a meaningful distinction between the two queues. If PvE rewards feel too generous, competitive players may feel pushed toward the safer option for efficient farming. If the reduction is too steep, the mode may seem like an inferior or unrewarding version of the game, limiting its value to the audience it is meant to serve.

Matchmaking population is another concern. Splitting players between PvPvE and PvE-only queues can lead to longer wait times, especially across different regions, times of day, or squad sizes. The fact that solos, duos, and trios will share one PvE pool may help reduce fragmentation during the test, but it also creates a different social dynamic from fully size-matched lobbies.

Mixed group sizes are common in games that want to keep queues moving, yet they can still influence difficulty and expectations. A solo player entering a world containing coordinated trios may appreciate the fact that those groups cannot inflict direct damage, while also finding it harder to compete for objectives or navigate dangerous PvE encounters alone. The week-long test should provide useful evidence about whether the shared pool feels welcoming across all party sizes.

A meaningful choice for different Arc Raiders audiences

The upcoming test reflects a broader challenge for multiplayer games: not every player values the same kind of tension. Some players want the intensity of unpredictable human encounters and the satisfaction of surviving them. Some mainly want cooperative adventures with friends. Others enjoy both, choosing based on their mood, their group, or the goals they have for a particular session.

Arc Raiders has room for each of those perspectives, but a permanent PvE option would need to coexist with the game's extraction foundations rather than undermine them. The developer's own hesitation shows it understands the issue. Returning to a more explicitly PvE-driven design could broaden access, but it could also change perceptions of what a successful run is supposed to feel like.

For now, players will get a week to experience the answer firsthand. From October 13 to October 20, those entering the PvE-only queue can team up as solos, duos, or trios and face the world without player-inflicted damage. They should also expect reduced loot compared with the traditional PvPvE format.

What happens after October 20 remains undecided. The toggle will disappear when the trial concludes, and Embark will review both feedback and data before deciding how, or whether, to proceed. The test is not a promise of a permanent PvE mode. It is, however, a notable sign that Arc Raiders is willing to reconsider how its co-op, PvP, and extraction systems can serve a player base with sharply different priorities.