Embark Studios founder and CEO Patrick Söderlund has revealed ARC Raiders opted for a $40 price tag after seeing games like Helldivers 2 make a splash. The extraction shooter has become one of the biggest success stories of last year, dominating sales and player count charts at the end of 2025 despite some monstrous competition. Part of that popularity could stem from ARC Raiders‘ middle-of-the-road pricing, something that was at least partially inspired by another multiplayer shooter.
2025 was a big year for gaming, but Embark managed to carve out a space for itself among giants like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Battlefield 6, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It may not have been the first extraction shooter or the only live-service multiplayer hit of the year, but ARC Raiders won Most Innovative Gameplay at the Steam Awards for its unique twist on familiar elements. That’s not to say it wasn’t inspired by other recent titles, though, as its studio boss recently explained.
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Embark CEO Says Games Like Helldivers 2 Inspired ARC Raiders’ $40 Price Tag
In an interview with GamesBeat’s Dean Takahashi, Söderlund touched on how ARC Raiders was going to be free-to-play until fairly late in its development. According to the Embark boss, the team “looked at games like Helldivers” and decided to transition to a more conventional business model but avoid asking for a full $70 price tag. It’s easy to see why Embark would want to follow Arrowhead’s lead in that regard, too, considering Helldivers 2 became Sony’s fastest-selling release when it launched in 2024. Söderlund points out how the $40 price range makes sure “the game is relatively affordable and that people can come in and try the game,” helping it draw a bigger audience while not having to fight for attention in an increasingly crowded free-to-play market.
A mid-range price means ARC Raiders doesn’t have to rely on extensive microtransactions to make money, even if there are a few in the game, but it also is more palatable to the price-conscious consumer. Söderlund explains how it didn’t feel right to charge a premium, as the game doesn’t have a campaign, and the team decided it would “rather make people feel like it’s totally worth 40 bucks.” That moderate pricing may be a breath of fresh air in the current market, where there are worries that GTA 6 could cost up to $100 and may set a precedent for a AAA price hike across the board.
Amid this trend of rising prices, Helldivers 2 managed to become a big hit at $40, so it gave Embark the confidence it needed to follow the same path. Clearly, the strategy has paid off. Shortly after coming out, ARC Raiders beat Helldivers 2‘s concurrent player record on Steam and has also surpassed 12 million copies sold. As the team over at Embark keeps bringing new content and patches, there’s a chance its success could keep growing in the months and years to come. It’s off to a monumental start, so there’s no telling where it could go from here.
It’s also interesting how the game managed to be this big of a success despite some early controversy. Embark has confirmed that the game uses AI-generated assets, although Söderlund has reassured players that ARC Raiders‘ use of AI does not replace people but rather helps the team work more efficiently. Regardless of the specific approach, though, generative AI is a controversial topic in gaming right now, with industry insiders seemingly split on the issue and players largely speaking out against it. Still, that contention wasn’t enough to stop ARC Raiders, as its skyrocketing sales figures show.
- Released
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October 30, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood
