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ARC Raiders is an extraction adventure built around scavenging and getting out with loot; THE FINALS is a team arena game built around competing for match objectives. In ARC Raiders, the key choice is how long to risk a run against mechanized enemies and other players before extracting. In THE FINALS, teams fight to complete or contest an objective such as depositing and defending cash. Both are multiplayer combat games, but their match structure and stakes are different.
What kind of game is ARC Raiders?
Embark Studios describes ARC Raiders as a multiplayer extraction adventure set on a lethal future Earth threatened by mechanized ARC. Raiders venture to the surface to scavenge valuable loot, facing both ARC machines and other players as they decide whether to keep searching or try to extract.
That extract-or-risk-more decision is the defining loop: loot gathered during a run matters because getting out with it is central to the experience. The setting is an imagined post-post-apocalypse, with remnants of Italy alongside infrastructure for space travel. Embark characterizes the game as blending extraction-shooter tension with atmospheric adventure settings.
The official site lists Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and GeForce NOW. Platform availability and access terms can depend on the service and region.
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What kind of game is THE FINALS?
THE FINALS is a free-to-play team arena game with several competitive modes. Its presentation centers on a virtual competition, team play, and destructible arenas. Rather than one extraction loop, players choose among structured match objectives.
Cashout
In Cashout, teams locate and activate vaults, deposit them at cashout stations, and defend those stations. The team with the most cash wins. The objective is therefore not simply to find loot and escape: teams must secure and contest the cashout during the match.
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Other team modes
The official site also lists Point Break, Team Deathmatch, and Power Shift. In Power Shift, two teams of five fight to control and move a platform across the arena. These modes give THE FINALS a broader set of team-match objectives than a single extraction format.
The official site advertises cross-play and cross-progression. Check the current storefront for your platform and region for exact availability and terms.
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How do ARC Raiders and THE FINALS differ?
| Aspect | ARC Raiders | THE FINALS |
|---|---|---|
| Core objective | Scavenge a hostile surface, collect loot, and extract. | Compete in a team arena mode; Cashout centers on depositing and defending vault cash. |
| Main tension | Whether to risk more of a run against ARC machines and other Raiders or leave with collected loot. | Whether your team can complete or contest the mode objective against opponents. |
| Match structure | Extraction-adventure runs, with loot and extraction at the heart of the loop. | Multiple competitive team modes, including Cashout and Power Shift. |
| Setting | A lethal future Earth with abandoned or repurposed places, atmospheric exploration, and mechanized threats. | A virtual competition arena emphasizing destruction and changing match objectives. |
| Access information | The official site lists Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and GeForce NOW. | The official site advertises free-to-play access, cross-play, and cross-progression; check regional storefronts for exact platform availability. |
The practical distinction is what progress in a match asks you to protect. ARC Raiders asks whether the loot you have collected is worth risking another encounter before extraction. THE FINALS asks whether your team can win the current objective against the other team. Neither description makes the games simply “PvE versus PvP”: ARC Raiders names both machines and other Raiders as threats, while THE FINALS is organized around team competition.
What should players know about ARC Raiders’ 2026 events?
Embark announced a limited PvE matchmaking toggle test for October 13–20, 2026. In the announcement, the PvE option is described as having zero player-to-player damage and grouping solo, duo, and trio players together. It is a dated test, not evidence of a permanent mode. See Embark’s PvE toggle test announcement for its stated terms.
Embark also announced a free-play period for ARC Raiders from October 8 at 09:00 UTC to October 12 at 08:00 UTC, 2026, across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. The stated window has ended; it should not be treated as ongoing access. Details are in the official free-play announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which game fits the kind of match you want?
- Choose ARC Raiders if you want an extraction loop centered on exploring, gathering loot, and weighing the risk of staying against the value of leaving with what you found.
- Choose THE FINALS if you want structured team matches, with objectives such as securing and defending Cashout stations or controlling a moving platform.
These are differences in format and stakes, not a ranking of quality, difficulty, or player activity; the official information cited here does not establish those comparisons.
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