Arc Raiders has been a smash hit for developer Embark and publisher Nexon, and now Embark’s top boss, Patrick Soderlund, has commented on the game’s success and revealed that the studio has multiple new games in the works.
Speaking to IGN, Soderlund said, “Well, you don’t have to be a math professor to realize that the game has done well for us and that we’re obviously incredibly happy with the performance from a financial perspective. So, of course, it’s been very profitable for us.”
Arc Raiders, which sells for $40, has sold more than 12 million copies, and this includes copies sold when the game was 20% off for the holidays. The game makes money beyond unit sales, as Embark also offers various microtransaction items for Arc Raiders. Embark was previously planning to launch Arc Raiders as a free game, but later pivoted to a $40 price.
Not only has Arc Raiders sold well, it’s retained its playerbase very impressively. It remains one of Steam’s top 10 most-played games, regularly reaching hundreds of thousands of peak concurrent users. On Steam, it’s been the No. 1 most popular game for 11 weeks in a row.
The financial success of Arc Raiders “first and foremost” means “stability” and “long-term security” for the studio and its workers.
“We can live for a long time on the money that Arc Raiders has been generating, and that does give financial security and employment stability for the people that work there,” he said. “We’re growing our studio, we’re hiring people, we want to build more of Arc Raiders, we want to build more of The Finals.”
Soderlund also revealed that Embark has two new games in development, and it’s the company’s “hope,” but not necessarily expectation, that these games are eventually released.
“So for us, [the success of Arc Raiders is] a sigh of relief, obviously, for any developer, and we’re incredibly happy for that, of course, and thankful for everyone that’s been supporting us by buying the game. It feels great,” Soderlund said. “Obviously, hopefully, we can have competitive salaries, good bonuses for the people that have done all this hard work and deserve to be taken care of adequately.”
Arc Raiders has been a big success, but it’s not been without controversy. The game, like The Finals before it, uses artificial intelligence systems for its voice lines. After Arc Raiders broke out and become a massive financial success, prominent voice actor Neil Newbon said Embark should bring back the voice actors and have them record more lines.
Soderlund previously pushed back against the idea that using AI systems in game development would lead to lower employment at Embark.
“We don’t use AI to not have to hire people or replace people or job groups or voice actors,” Soderlund told GamesBeat. “People have to take a step back and understand what it is and how it can be a big help to developers and be a tremendous benefit to players. I realize it is an intricate subject and discussion.”
The Arc Raiders franchise is owned by Nexon, and the company is pushing ahead to adapt the game for a film or TV show to capitalize on the game’s success.
