Arc Raiders is an online multiplayer extraction shooter that features PvE as well as PvP systems. You can run in and shoot NPC enemies or, if you’re feeling particularly violent, you can blast player-controlled characters. But for developer Embark Studios, the latter isn’t really the point of the game, so don’t expect more PvP systems in the future.
In an interview and video playthrough with GamesBeat on December 30 (via IGN), Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund explained that the team isn’t planning on adding anything like PvP leaderboards because the PvP environment merely creates tension in the game. It isn’t the bedrock on which the rest of the game was built.
“We’ve had several discussions about Nemesis systems and all types of things,” he said. “I don’t know where the team [is] on them right now. I think one of the beauties of this game is the fact that we don’t have those leaderboards, and it’s not competitive. We don’t want to necessarily foster that type of gameplay. 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.”
There’s a risk-reward system at play when you embark in Arc Raiders, as you make calculated assessments on the situations around you. Söderlund said that, in one iteration of the game, other players weren’t visible, but bringing them in and making the game an online multiplayer environment further enhanced that tension as you determined the risks you’re willing to take.
“The game was without other players for a long time,” Söderlund said. “And yes, there were instances where the game was fun, and there were areas where it worked quite well. But also, the minute you added other players and then use subtle ways of signaling–you don’t know how many players are on the server, you don’t know how many players have died, you don’t know how many players are around you–but we signal to you that there are other players. You hear them shooting. That’s why audio is a very important part of this game. You hear them encountering Arc and other players. You see the raider flares as they go down. At one point–it was funny–I came back into a playtest, and the raider flares were gone. I’m like, ‘Why did you remove those?’ And they’re like, ‘Well, well…’ So I just said, ‘Just bring them back.’ They’re such an iconic part of this game.”
This tension, as well as the myriad players you could encounter as you shot your way through Arc Raiders, made the game feel alive and populated in a way that was missing during developmental playtests. Söderlund once again emphasized that tension, but said that other players were only one part of the equation. The sound, the enemies, the world–these make up the rest of it.
Speaking of tension, Arc Raiders is fielding some intense pressure lately. The game has come under fire for using AI for things like voice lines, with Embark Studios defending the technology, saying it’s beneficial for developers and players. Still, the game continues to be a huge success for the Swedish studio, so much so that Embark Studios has received movie and TV offers.
