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Arc Raiders will test a PvE matchmaking toggle from October 13 to 20, with lower-value loot and AI pressure built into the experiment.
IGN reports that Embark Studios will test a PvE matchmaking toggle in Arc Raiders from October 13 through October 20. During the trial, players will be able to switch between lobbies where player damage is enabled and lobbies where players cannot damage one another.
According to IGN, Embark is treating the feature as an experiment rather than a confirmed permanent addition. The studio wants to examine whether players who prefer cooperation can have a viable way to play without removing the tension that defines the wider game. Embark will use the test to monitor the in-game economy and matchmaking times, while also checking whether the PvE option can function without damaging the broader experience.
IGN reports that the test will use a toggle rather than a completely separate game. Players will be able to move between PvP lobbies, where they can fight other players, and PvE lobbies, where players cannot deal damage to one another. That distinction matters because the trial is not described as a new campaign or a standalone cooperative mode. It is a change to how matchmaking handles player conflict.
Embark has also set different stakes for the PvE environment. IGN says loot found in PvE will be lower-valued because the mode is intended to carry less risk. The adjustment gives the studio a way to separate the rewards from those available when players must account for human opponents. It also means the test will not simply offer the same progression returns with player-versus-player danger removed.
There will still be pressure from the game’s machine enemies. IGN reports that ARCs will target downed players during the test, creating a threat even when human combat is disabled. However, the studio says those AI enemies will ignore players who remain still. This creates a specific balance between safety from other players and continued danger from the environment.
Embark is not presenting the trial as a technical stress test, according to IGN. Instead, the studio will be testing whether this style of matchmaking can operate as part of the game. The results will include player economy data and matchmaking times, giving the team two concrete areas to watch while the toggle is available.
IGN reports that Embark’s data showed a sizable portion of players were avoiding or ignoring fights with other players. Those players were more interested in a cooperative and social experience than in regularly fighting human opponents. The PvE test is therefore a response to observed player behavior, not only a speculative feature request.
That context is important because Arc Raiders was built around the tension created by possible encounters with other players. Embark has acknowledged, through the account reported by IGN, that its original vision emphasized a particular way of playing. The studio is now weighing that intention against evidence that some players want to approach the game differently.
IGN also reports that an early, unlaunched version of Arc Raiders was conceived as a PvE game. Embark had been reluctant to return to that idea because it could reduce the tension around encounters. The current trial does not confirm a return to that original direction. It does show that the studio considers the player response significant enough to test a limited alternative.
The most important confirmed point is that Embark has not promised a permanent PvE option. IGN says the studio considers it possible that the experiment will not work and that PvE may not remain in the game. The October trial is designed to produce evidence for a decision, not to announce one in advance.
Player-focused analysis: A PvE toggle could make Arc Raiders more approachable for players who enjoy scavenging, movement, and cooperation but do not want every expedition to include a human ambush. The source record does not establish how many players will use the option, but Embark’s reported data suggests that avoiding PvP is already a meaningful behavior. If those players currently spend much of their time disengaging from fights, a dedicated queue could align the game more closely with how they already play.
The lower-value loot is likely to be central to that trade-off. From a player perspective, reduced rewards may make PvE less attractive to anyone focused on efficiency, while still preserving a calmer environment for those who value exploration or social play. That is an analysis of the announced structure, not a confirmed result. The test will be the first opportunity to see whether the reward reduction creates a useful difference or makes the PvE queue feel unimportant.
The AI rules could also shape the identity of the trial. Players will not face damage from other players, but downed players can still be targeted by ARCs. The option to be ignored while standing still adds another layer of choice. Players may be able to avoid some danger through caution, although the source does not explain how often the AI will create pressure or how this behavior will affect a full session.
For PvP-focused players, the key concern is population. Embark is tracking matchmaking times, which indicates that queue health is one of the risks being examined. Analysis suggests that splitting the player base between PvP and PvE could make it harder to find suitable matches if too many players select one option. The announced monitoring should help reveal whether that concern appears during the week-long trial, but no results are available yet.
There is also a question of how much tension the game retains when human damage is disabled. The PvP possibility can influence decisions even when no fight occurs, because players may need to consider whether another team is nearby or hostile. A PvE lobby removes that specific uncertainty. Whether the AI threat and reduced loot provide enough pressure is one of the central questions the experiment is positioned to answer.
What remains unconfirmed
IGN’s report confirms the test window, the matchmaking toggle, the lower-value PvE loot, the ARC behavior, and the data Embark plans to monitor. It does not confirm that PvE will become a permanent mode. Embark has explicitly left open the possibility that the feature will be removed after the experiment.
The source also does not provide the exact value of the loot reduction, the number of players expected in each queue, or the matchmaking thresholds that will determine whether a lobby is considered healthy. It does not explain whether progress, missions, extraction outcomes, or other systems will differ beyond the stated reward changes. Those details remain relevant to judging how comparable the PvE and PvP experiences will be.
There is no confirmed decision date for what happens after October 20 in the supplied report. Embark has not, according to the available information, committed to extending the trial, repeating it, or replacing it with a more developed PvE feature. Players should therefore treat the test as temporary unless the studio announces otherwise.
The first useful signal will be matchmaking time in each queue. If PvE lobbies fill reliably without weakening PvP access, that would support the case for keeping both options available. If one queue becomes difficult to populate, the experiment may show that the player base cannot be divided without trade-offs. This is analysis based on the metrics Embark says it will monitor, not a prediction of the outcome.
The in-game economy will be the second major signal. Embark plans to observe how lower-valued PvE loot affects the wider economy. Players will be watching whether the reduced rewards make the mode feel appropriately balanced, whether PvE participation changes how items enter the economy, and whether the different risk levels create a clear reason to choose one queue over the other.
Community feedback will provide a third piece of evidence. IGN reports that Embark wants players to demonstrate whether they want PvE and provide actionable feedback that could make it feasible. That feedback will matter most if it explains how the mode should work rather than simply asking for its existence. The studio will need to compare those responses with the economy and matchmaking data before deciding whether the test supports a permanent change.
For now, the confirmed story is narrower than a full PvE announcement. Arc Raiders will test a player-protection toggle from October 13 to October 20, with reduced rewards and continued AI danger. IGN’s report makes clear that Embark is willing to challenge its original assumptions, but the final direction remains unconfirmed until the studio evaluates the results.