A PvE-ceful future?

Arc Raiders could eventually be split into PvE and PvP modes.

Talking to GamesRadar+ ahead of Embark's limited PvE test next week, executive producer Aleksander Grøndal said the idea of a more peaceful Arc Raiders is "possible".

"I mean, the community is already split along those lines," he said. "If the game eventually will represent that? Quite possibly. I think it's important to respect how the players want to enjoy the game, even if it doesn't necessarily fully gel with what we thought the game was initially or how we designed the game to be initially. It's possible.

"Of course, it creates some challenges on our end. We need to figure out what we really mean by that."

The test 'toggles' the option to opt into PvE matchmaking, where Raiders can't damage each other. Solos, duos, and trios will be matched into the same sessions, although Night Raids and the upcoming Frigate aren't part of the test.

Grøndal said the test, which runs from 13th to 20th October, will help Embark identify how best to implement PvE, but admitted it's "somewhat limited around some of the higher-end stuff" because it "has a chance of affecting" the overall experience.

A blog post from Embark goes into further detail, writing: "When ARC Raiders was conceived seven years ago, the vision of the game was quite different.

"We originally envisioned a raid-based PvE Co-op game with looting mechanics. While the concept showed promise, we ran into significant challenges, and eventually decided to reset the game and build the high-tension PvPvE Extraction adventure that you know today."

Embark's player data shows the split in how the community most like to play: 37 percent are friendly co-op players, 34 percent are pure PvP players, and 27 percent flit between the two. Over 70 percent of friendly players and even 40 percent of PvP players, however, have expressed a "desire for fewer hostile encounters and 51 percent of the surveyed playerbase has expressed an interest in a dedicated PvE option".

That said, there are caveats to the upcoming test, with Embark stating plainly that "it’s possible that this will not work", and the test "is not a promise that there will be a PvE mode in the future".

"But take this as an indication that we are seriously considering it," the studio added.

Earlier this week, we learned film and TV show adaptations of Arc Raiders and The Finals are in the works. Developer Embark Studios is collaborating with Chernin Entertainment to get the job done after Chernin Entertainment created the hugely successful Backrooms horror film.

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