ARC Raiders Adds a Limited-Time PvE Matchmaking Beta

ARC Raiders has added a temporary PvE matchmaking option, giving players a way to face the ARC without taking damage from other raiders. The beta begins today on separate servers, as Embark Studios tests demand for a lower-risk mode. That makes the test more than a switch in matchmaking: it asks whether players want the game’s machine threats and scavenging without the uncertainty of human opponents. The answer could affect how the game balances different expectations of risk, cooperation and reward.

What changes in PvE

Players in PvE lobbies can’t harm one another with any weapon or gadget, including stun grenades and incendiaries. The restriction covers tools that might otherwise disrupt another group even when they aren’t being used to deal direct damage. Barricades and ziplines still function, so players retain some of the game’s movement and defensive options. Solo players may also be matched with duos or trios, which means the mode doesn’t promise a uniformly solo experience. The key change is that other raiders can’t turn a run into a fight.

That distinction matters because mixed PvE and PvP games ask players to assess two kinds of danger at once: the enemies built into the world and other people with their own goals. Removing player damage narrows that calculation. It may make encounters easier to read, especially for people who’d rather concentrate on the ARC, learn the map or coordinate with a group. But safety from other players isn’t the same as safety from the game. The ARC remains the central threat, and players still have to manage whatever challenges the PvE setting presents.

Standard PvEvP matchmaking remains available. Keeping both queues gives players a choice between a session where other raiders can be hostile and one where they can’t. That choice also gives Embark a way to observe whether the two experiences attract distinct audiences or whether players move between them depending on their mood, party size or tolerance for risk. A separate queue can make the distinction clear, though it also divides the pool of players available for matchmaking.

Some familiar tools still work. That’s a meaningful design decision: disabling player damage doesn’t appear to strip away every system that supports movement and defense. Barricades and ziplines can still shape how a group navigates a run, even when they can’t be used to injure another raider. The mode therefore changes the social rules while preserving parts of the underlying play. Less uncertainty about other players; still a tactical game.

What players give up

The mode comes with trade-offs: loot is worth less, and several conditions are unavailable, including Frigate, Redirection, Hidden Bunker, Night Raid and Locked Gate. Lower-value loot gives the PvE queue a different reward profile from standard matchmaking. It’s a way to make the mode less attractive as a straightforward route to the same rewards, while still offering a distinct kind of session. Whether that balance feels fair will depend on what players value: progression and loot, a lower-risk run, or the tension created by competing raiders.

The missing conditions also limit what the beta can tell players about PvE as a complete alternative. A mode that excludes parts of the game’s conditions offers a narrower sample of the experience. That may be a practical choice during a test, but it means feedback will reflect the available version, not every possible combination of rules and challenges. Players who enjoy the conditions that aren’t included may have little reason to switch, even if they like the idea of PvE matchmaking.

Embark says matchmaking times may shift as it monitors whether players are getting good sessions. That’s a reminder that a new queue depends on enough people selecting it at the same time. If demand is uneven, waiting times can change; if the player pool is split across modes, the studio may have to consider how to keep both queues viable. The studio hasn’t framed those adjustments as a fixed outcome. It’s watching how the test plays out.

Why the beta matters

This is more significant than it looks. A PvE option can serve players who want to focus on environmental threats, but it also changes the role that PvP risk plays in each run. In games built around encounters with other players, the possibility of conflict can shape how people move, cooperate and decide when to leave. Remove that possibility and the experience changes even if the map, weapons and enemies remain familiar. The test is about demand for that change, not just whether the matchmaking toggle works.

There’s a familiar trade-off in this kind of mode design: a lower-risk experience can make a game more approachable for some players, while reducing the pressure that gives other sessions their edge. Neither preference is inherently more valid. The useful question for Embark is whether the PvE option has a clear purpose and whether its rewards and limits make sense to the people choosing it. (And this is the part most people overlook.) A mode’s value isn’t measured only by how many players try it once; the quality of the sessions and the reasons people return matter too.

If you’re working in this space, the beta’s separate servers and adjusted loot are worth watching as design choices. They give the studio a way to test a distinct ruleset without presenting it as identical to standard PvEvP matchmaking. But the available information doesn’t establish how Embark will judge success, or whether the mode will continue after the test. For now, the studio is asking players to describe what works and what doesn’t, and that feedback will help inform the decision.

A short test window

The beta ends October 20 across all platforms. Its launch follows the success of the Frozen Trail update, which helped ARC Raiders reach its highest Steam player count since March. That context suggests the game has recently drawn a larger audience on Steam, but it doesn’t tell us how many of those players want PvE matchmaking. A strong update and interest in a new queue are related questions, not the same measure.

Embark is asking players to report what works and what doesn’t; that feedback will help shape whether PvE has a future in the game. Players can assess the practical details—how the queue feels, whether the reduced loot makes sense, and how the missing conditions affect a session. The studio can then weigh those responses against what it sees in matchmaking. A short beta won’t answer every question about long-term demand. It can, however, show whether a meaningful group of players wants this option badly enough to keep choosing it.

For now, the mode is a test with clear boundaries: no damage from other raiders, some existing tools still available, reduced loot value and a shorter list of conditions. That said, the central question is simple. Can ARC Raiders offer a satisfying run when the threat comes from the ARC alone? The beta is where players get to answer.