Earlier this year, Embark Studios–which was co-founded by Battlefield veteran Patrick Soderlund–reversed course on Arc Raiders. What was originally envisioned as a free-to-play shooter was shifted over to a premium release. Now, the latest gameplay video for Arc Raiders demonstrates why Embark Studios felt confident about making that move as it shows off an impressive–and dangerous–post-apocalyptic world.
The game takes place in a future where humanity has retreated beneath the surface of the Earth to escape the lethal Arc machines, which are programed to slaughter any humans they find. Players assume the role of one of the Raiders, who risk their lives by returning to the surface to find badly needed supplies while evading both the machines as well as rival Raiders who aren’t looking to share any of the spoils.
Getting in and out of the locations isn’t easy, even though having a team to watch your back helps increase the odds of survival. The smaller Arc machines are always on patrol, and the larger machines aren’t as easy to dispatch as their counterparts. Enemy Raiders can also ambush a team before they reach their extraction point. But that’s only going to draw the attention of the Arc machines, which will target both sides of the conflict. As far as the machines are concerned, the only good human is a dead one.
Although Arc Raiders isn’t finished yet, this early gameplay is already looking good. Embark Studios will release the game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2025.