Embark Says Permanent Arc Raiders PvE Could Be Added as Player Demand Grows

Arc Raiders may eventually give players a lasting way to venture into its hostile world without fighting other human-controlled raiders. Embark Studios has not announced a permanent PvE mode, but comments from company leadership indicate that the possibility is being taken increasingly seriously following a limited-time PvE test.

Patrick Söderlund, Embark's CEO and Nexon games chief, said a PvE option would be relatively straightforward for the team to implement. The bigger question is not whether the mode can be built, but how it would coexist with the tense player-versus-player-and-environment identity that defines the extraction shooter.

That distinction matters. Arc Raiders is built around the uncertainty of each outing: players are not only dealing with dangerous machines and the demands of survival, but also the chance that another squad or solo raider may decide to attack. Removing that player threat changes the rhythm, emotional stakes, and incentives behind every expedition. Yet the recent test showed that a substantial audience wants precisely that alternative.

A technical possibility, but a broader design decision

Söderlund described adding PvE as something Embark could do without major difficulty. However, he stressed that the studio has been cautious about making changes that could interfere with the game's central loop. In the team's view, the PvP element contributes meaningful tension to a PvPvE experience. The looming possibility of an encounter with another player can turn even a routine objective, a valuable discovery, or a trip to extraction into a high-pressure decision.

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That is why a permanent PvE playlist cannot be viewed solely as a quality-of-life addition. It would create a different version of Arc Raiders' core experience. Players in a PvE-only environment could explore, scavenge, complete objectives, and confront AI threats without needing to account for ambushes or betrayal from another raider. For some, that may make the game more welcoming and consistently enjoyable. For others, it may remove the very unpredictability that makes an extraction game compelling.

Embark's earlier reluctance was tied to preserving that intended emotional loop. Arc Raiders itself has a notable history in this area, having initially been positioned as a PvE-focused project before shifting toward extraction-focused PvP during a difficult development period. The team's hesitation, then, was not simply about enabling a menu option. It concerned whether such an option would pull the game away from what its creators believe Arc Raiders should be.

The limited test appears to have meaningfully shifted that internal conversation. Söderlund said the studio tried the idea and found that it was fun, raising the prospect that players could be allowed to select the style they prefer. That is not a firm commitment, but it is a much more open stance than a blanket defense of PvPvE as the only valid way to play.

The test revealed significant interest in PvE

Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal pointed to a particularly notable data point from the trial: nearly 50% of matches played during the test were PvE matches. That does not automatically mean half of the full player base would permanently abandon PvP if given the choice, nor does it establish how players would divide their time after the novelty of a new mode fades. Still, it is a major signal that PvE is far more than a marginal request.

The response was described as mixed overall, but broadly positive. Some players reportedly changed their minds after trying PvE, while another group strongly embraced it. Those outcomes are important because requests for a PvE mode can come from very different places. Some players may simply want a lower-stress environment in which to learn maps, mechanics, enemies, and extraction routes. Others may enjoy cooperative play and AI encounters but have little interest in fighting other players at all. A third group could treat PvE as an occasional alternative to the intensity of the standard loop.

For Embark, the task is to understand which of those groups would be served by a permanent addition and what that addition would do to the game around it. A temporary event can attract experimentation because it is limited and distinct. A permanent queue becomes part of a live game's ecosystem. It can influence player habits, matchmaking, progression expectations, community discussion, and the perceived value of different activities.

Grøndal's comments suggest the studio is focused on whether PvE can fit without damaging the integrity of Arc Raiders as a whole. That wording leaves room for several potential approaches. A fully separate permanent playlist is one possibility, but no specific implementation has been confirmed. Embark could also explore distinct rules, rewards, event structures, or limitations designed to keep PvE and PvPvE aligned. Until the studio shares concrete plans, players should not assume the trial format will necessarily become the final version of any future mode.

Protecting the tension of the extraction experience

The strongest argument against unrestricted PvE is not that it would be impossible to make enjoyable. The test itself appears to have answered that question. Instead, the concern is that player-versus-player danger is woven into many of the game's decisions. When another raider might be nearby, sound, positioning, loot choices, and the timing of an extraction can all carry extra weight.

In a PvE-only match, the AI remains a source of danger, but its behavior is fundamentally different from that of another player. AI enemies can be threatening, overwhelming, and unpredictable within their systems, yet they do not create the same social uncertainty. A player may cooperate, flee, negotiate through action, set a trap, steal an opportunity, or attack at the last possible moment. That human element is difficult to replace.

At the same time, maintaining a singular creative vision has to be balanced against the realities of a large live-service community. Söderlund acknowledged that Embark cannot simply disregard the PvE-focused segment of Arc Raiders' audience. The stated aim is to accommodate different player types sufficiently without diluting the experience overall.

That is a sensible goal, but it is also a complicated one. If PvE offers the same progression and rewards with less player-driven risk, some players may see it as the clearly more efficient option. If it offers sharply reduced rewards, PvE fans may feel treated as second-class participants. If the two modes share all objectives and events, Embark will need to consider how challenges are balanced for very different threat levels. If they do not share them, the game could become more fragmented.

Live-service consequences go beyond matchmaking

Even when a mode is easy to enable from a technical standpoint, operating it well over time involves many interconnected systems. Arc Raiders' economy is one of the most obvious. Loot values, resource acquisition, crafting or upgrade pacing, and the perceived risk of losing valuable gear can all change when players have access to a safer route through the game. A permanent PvE option would need rules that preserve a meaningful sense of progression while respecting the reduced likelihood of human interference.

Population is another consideration. Separate PvE and PvPvE queues can give players more choice, but they can also split the active player base. That may affect queue times, regional matchmaking, the variety of opponents players encounter, and the general liveliness of each mode. These issues become particularly important during quieter hours or in regions with smaller populations.

Server capacity and event design may also require attention. Seasonal activities, limited-time objectives, and world events would need to work appropriately in both environments if both are supported. Difficulty tuning is not a simple matter of increasing enemy health or damage. PvE activities must remain engaging when the ever-present chance of a player ambush is gone, while retaining the atmosphere that makes Arc Raiders distinct.

There is also a social dimension. A PvE option could serve as a gentler on-ramp for newcomers, friends with different comfort levels, and players who want to focus on cooperation. It may help more people experience the game's environments and machine encounters at their own pace. Conversely, Embark will need to avoid giving the impression that the standard PvPvE experience has been abandoned or weakened for the audience that came specifically for its extraction tension.

No confirmation yet, but the direction is clearer

For now, the important point is that Embark has not formally announced a permanent PvE mode for Arc Raiders. Players should treat the latest remarks as evidence of active consideration rather than a release promise. No timetable, reward structure, matchmaking model, or permanent playlist format has been detailed.

Still, the language from Söderlund and Grøndal marks a meaningful development in the discussion. The studio has tested PvE, seen strong participation, recognized that some players loved it, and publicly acknowledged that the mode can be added without major technical difficulty. The remaining debate is about stewardship: how to broaden Arc Raiders' appeal while keeping its extraction-focused identity intact.

That makes the next decision especially consequential. A well-designed permanent PvE path could let a larger audience engage with Arc Raiders on its own terms, offering a place for cooperative players and those who prefer machine threats over competitive conflict. Done poorly, it could create progression disputes, divide the community, or weaken the sense of danger that PvPvE players value. Embark's leadership is framing the challenge in exactly those terms: provide room for different preferences, but protect the overall health and enjoyability of the game.