The Tool Desk
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As of October 18, 2026, Embark is testing a PvE matchmaking toggle from October 13 at 11:00 CEST through October 20 at 11:00 CEST. The test is temporary, and the developer has not confirmed that a permanent non-PvP queue will remain. Your best choice therefore depends on whether you want occasional player danger, or require every run to be strictly cooperative.
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What ARC Raiders actually is
ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure set on a future Earth dominated by mechanized ARC forces. You enter a surface map alone or in a party of up to three, search buildings and industrial sites for useful materials, fight machines, pursue quests, and decide when the value of your backpack is high enough to leave. Extraction converts a dangerous run into progress; dying can cost the loot you carried.
The official description presents two threats at once: the ARC machines that control the surface and other Raiders who may compete for the same resources. Xbox Wire’s account of the game’s development explains that it began as a co-op-only concept before shifting to PvPvE. Its launch plan included four distinct maps, and Xbox Wire lists October 30, 2025 as the launch date. The Steam listing adds changing weather and enemy conditions, traders, crafting, and a machine roster that ranges from drones to enormous mechanical units.
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This structure matters for PvP-averse players. You are not entering a match whose obvious purpose is to eliminate every human opponent. You are entering a hostile ecosystem, gathering what you need, and making a risk decision. Another Raider can turn that decision into a fight, but the run still has a purpose if no player appears.
Why the game feels more PvE-forward than its genre label suggests
ARC machines are the primary problem to solve
The machines are not disposable target practice between player engagements. PC Gamer’s review describes powerful ARC units as the focal point of the experience and notes that squads sometimes cooperate with strangers to bring down large threats. Their attacks, patrols, movement and sound shape how you cross the map. A machine encounter can force you to spend ammunition, change your route, hide, or postpone extraction.
The result is a PvE loop with meaningful choices: take a longer path around a dangerous unit, risk a fight for a valuable component, or use the noise of a battle as cover while another group draws attention. Those decisions remain interesting even when no human opponent is nearby.
Loot, crafting and quests create non-combat goals
Resources are useful because they feed the rest of the game. Materials support crafting, repairs and upgrades, while traders and quests give you reasons to revisit different parts of a map. The Steam listing specifically identifies quests, crafting and traders as core systems. Progress therefore does not depend solely on winning gunfights against other players.
A successful run can mean quietly filling your bag with components, repairing your kit, finishing a quest objective and extracting before the situation worsens. That is a different emotional rhythm from an extraction game in which hunting players is the fastest or most celebrated route to advancement.
Embark says PvP is tension, not the game’s purpose
Patrick Söderlund, Embark’s CEO, described the design intent this way: “The game isn’t about shooting other players. You can do that if you want to, but the ethos of the game has never been to go in and shoot players. It’s a part that we use to craft tension.” He also said, “That’s why audio is a very important part of this game.”
Those statements describe a design philosophy rather than a promise that every lobby will be friendly. They explain why the game invests in warning signals, stealth information and disengagement instead of treating every human contact as an automatic duel.
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Can you play ARC Raiders without fighting other players?
In the standard PvPvE mode, no. Other Raiders can attack you, and the official description warns that Raiders prey on one another. Xbox Wire likewise describes groups fighting over resources and loot. You can choose not to initiate combat, but you cannot guarantee that another player will make the same choice.
Encounters are not necessarily constant. PC Gamer found that a solo run can be relatively peaceful: you may gather resources, fight ARC robots and extract without seeing another person. However, the possibility of an ambush remains part of the stakes. Extraction areas are especially risky because a player who waited nearby can attempt to take the loot you spent the entire run collecting.
Think of PvP as an exposure risk that rises with the value and visibility of your objective. A quiet scavenging route may never produce contact; a busy extraction point or a loud battle with a major ARC unit is more likely to attract attention. The game does not provide a guarantee that stealth will work, only tools that let you reduce the chance of being noticed and improve your odds of leaving.
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The October 2026 PvE matchmaking toggle
What the test provides
Embark announced a PvE matchmaking toggle test running from October 13 at 11:00 CEST to October 20 at 11:00 CEST. The purpose is to let players seek a co-op-focused experience without the normal player-damage threat while the established PvPvE queue remains available.
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What the test does not prove
The toggle is a time-limited experiment, not a confirmed permanent mode. GamesRadar reported that the team is considering what a long-term split between the existing PvPvE game and a pure-PvE version would mean. Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal said a future split is “very possible,” while emphasizing that the decision still requires work. He also acknowledged that “the community is already split along those lines.”
Consequently, do not buy or return the game on the assumption that a permanent PvE queue is guaranteed. Check the current in-game matchmaking options during the test window and look for a later announcement before treating it as a lasting feature.
How to play as a PvP-averse Raider
1. Treat every run as an extraction decision
Set a practical objective before leaving: a quest item, a repair material, a crafting component or a modest amount of loot. Once that objective is complete, the value of staying falls unless you have a clear reason to take another risk. The game rewards survival and extraction, so “leave with enough” is a valid success condition.
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2. Use sound as an early-warning system
Embark has explicitly tied the game’s tension to audio. Distant firefights, machine activity and Raider flares communicate that someone is nearby or that a location is becoming contested. Play with a headset if possible, keep the volume high enough to distinguish direction, and pause before crossing an exposed area. A category-level gaming-headset recommendation is appropriate here because directional audio is part of the information the game expects you to read; no particular model is established as tested or superior.
3. Avoid unnecessary signatures
Gunfire, prolonged fights and predictable routes create information for anyone listening. If an ARC unit can be bypassed, compare the ammunition, noise and time required for a kill with the value of the reward. If a fight is necessary, finish the objective quickly, move away from the obvious line of approach and avoid standing over the loot longer than needed.
4. Scout extraction instead of sprinting into it
Extraction is where the cost of a successful run is most visible, and PC Gamer identified it as a common concentration point for PvP. Approach from cover, listen before committing, and consider whether another extraction option is safer. If you hear a fight or see signs of recent activity, waiting briefly or changing plans can preserve the run.
5. Choose solo or a small party deliberately
You can play solo or with up to three players. Solo play gives you a lower profile and full control over when to disengage, but you have fewer tools for reviving, distracting machines or defending an extraction. A coordinated group can share watch duties and deal with large ARC threats more efficiently, while also producing more noise and a larger target. Choose the format that matches your tolerance for exposure rather than assuming one is universally safer.
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Embark’s January 27, 2026 update added Solo vs Squads for solo players at level 40 or above who want to challenge squads. Opting in grants a 20% XP bonus when you successfully extract or are defeated. This is an explicit PvP-oriented choice, not a default requirement for all solo players.
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The option illustrates the game’s broader balance: players who want more direct human conflict can select a higher-risk environment and receive a defined progression incentive, while players focused on machines and survival can avoid opting in. The bonus does not make standard matchmaking PvE-only, and it does not remove the possibility of encountering Raiders outside that option.
ARC Raiders compared with harder-PvP extraction games
The useful comparison is not a list of brand names; it is how each game distributes attention and risk. On the evidence available for ARC Raiders, its profile looks like this:
| Comparison axis | ARC Raiders | What it means for a PvP-averse player |
|---|---|---|
| Player-encounter frequency | Variable; solo runs can be quiet, but hostile Raiders remain possible. | You may complete a run without seeing anyone, but there is no safety guarantee. |
| Where encounters concentrate | Likely around valuable loot, contested areas and extraction points. | Route planning and timing can reduce exposure. |
| Consequence of losing | You risk losing the loot carried on the run and the time spent pursuing its objectives. | Keep objectives modest until you understand a map and its threats. |
| PvE enemy role | ARC machines, from drones to mechanical giants, are central opponents. | There is substantial content to engage with even when no player appears. |
| Solo viability | Supported; the game can produce peaceful solo runs. | Good for independent play if you accept occasional ambush risk. |
| Audio and stealth information | Sound, distant firefights and Raider flares communicate nearby activity. | A headset and patient movement improve your ability to disengage. |
| Non-PvP matchmaking | Under a time-limited PvE toggle test, October 13–20, 2026. | Useful now if available, but not confirmed as permanent. |
| Progression incentives | Loot, quests, crafting, repairs, upgrades and extraction drive progress; Solo vs Squads offers a 20% XP bonus when selected. | You can advance without making player kills your main objective. |
Who should—and should not—choose ARC Raiders?
It is a strong fit if you:
- Enjoy fighting machines and exploring for materials more than hunting human opponents.
- Like deciding when to extract rather than pushing every encounter.
- Can accept that another Raider may attack, particularly near extraction.
- Want solo support or parties of up to three.
- Pay attention to sound, flares and changing map conditions.
It is a poor fit if you:
- Require every match to be strictly noncompetitive.
- Find the possibility of losing carried loot unacceptable.
- Want a game where PvP can never interrupt a PvE objective.
- Dislike stealth, route planning or leaving a reward behind when the risk changes.
If you fall into the second group, the October 2026 toggle is worth checking while it exists. If it disappears or is not offered in your region or account, the standard game cannot promise a PvP-free experience.
Practical verdict
ARC Raiders is best understood as a PvE-led extraction game with PvP layered over it. Machines, scavenging, quests, crafting and extraction supply the main reasons to deploy; other Raiders create uncertainty and can punish a careless route. That combination makes it one of the more plausible extraction choices for people who dislike constant player combat, especially when a quiet solo run or a temporary PvE queue is enough for you.
It is not a pure PvE game in its standard form. The right expectation is not “I will never fight another player,” but “I can often choose how much attention I attract, and the run has value even when I avoid a fight.”
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