ARC Raiders is a paid game, not a permanently free-to-play title. Embark scheduled a limited free-play event from October 8 at 09:00 UTC to October 12 at 08:00 UTC, 2026, with access to the full game on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation. After the event, you’ll need to buy the game to keep playing.
When can you play ARC Raiders for free?
Embark’s October 2, 2026 announcement sets the free-play period for October 8 at 09:00 UTC through October 12 at 08:00 UTC. It says the event grants access to the full game, so it is a limited opportunity to try the paid game—not a permanent change to its pricing model.
The event announcement lists Steam, Xbox and PlayStation. It does not establish whether console online-subscription requirements are waived during the event, so check the relevant platform’s current rules if you plan to play on console.
How much does ARC Raiders cost?
The following are US storefront prices seen on October 7, 2026. They are a dated snapshot, not guaranteed current prices; discounts, taxes and regional pricing can differ. Check your platform’s store before buying.
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| Store and edition | Price shown October 7, 2026 | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Standard | $39.99 list price; temporarily discounted 50% to $19.99 | Base game |
| Steam Deluxe | $59.99 list price; temporarily discounted 50% to $29.99 | Base game, listed cosmetics and emote, and 2,400 Raider Tokens |
| Xbox | From $39.99; Deluxe Edition listed at $59.99+ | Edition-specific details and prices may vary; check the Xbox listing |
Sources: Steam US listing and Xbox US listing.
Is Deluxe worth the extra cost?
On Steam’s October 7 US snapshot, Deluxe cost $10 more than the discounted Standard edition. Its listed extras are cosmetic or currency items: the Wanderer Set (Valente outfit, Pathfinder backpack and Blanket Roll backpack attachment), a character cosmetic, the Finger Gun Rapid Fire emote, Cowboy Scrappy body type and skin, and 2,400 Raider Tokens.
The listing does not say Deluxe provides a gameplay advantage. If you want the base game, Standard is the lower-cost option; consider Deluxe only if its listed extras are worth the difference to you.
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Which platforms can you play on, and are there extra costs?
Embark lists Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and GeForce NOW as availability options on the official ARC Raiders website. Embark describes cross-platform social play across PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
- PlayStation 5: The US PlayStation listing says PS Plus Essential is required for online multiplayer. See the PlayStation ARC Raiders page.
- Xbox: The US Xbox listing says online console multiplayer requires Game Pass Core or Ultimate, sold separately. See the Xbox listing.
- PC: Steam and Epic Games Store are listed as platforms; the cited console-subscription requirements do not apply to PC.
ARC Raiders is online multiplayer-only, but you can play solo or in teams of two or three, according to the PlayStation page. Solo means playing alone online, not an offline single-player campaign.
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