Scarier machines and simpler combat: The future of ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders, the popular extraction shooter, has found itself at the center of two big community debates since its launch. One is about a secret first-person view, and the other is about whether the game is truly meant for player-versus-player (PvP) fights. These two topics highlight the different ways players want to experience the game versus how the creators see it.

For a short time, PC players found a hidden way to play ARC Raiders in first-person. By using special commands in the game’s developer console, they could switch the camera to an "over the shoulder" view, making the game feel very different. Many who tried it loved the change. They said the game became much more immersive, pulling them deeper into the world. Fighting the ARC machines, the game’s main enemies, felt scarier and more intense when viewed up close. This unofficial mode quickly gained fans who believed it made the game better and hoped the developers would add it properly.

However, Embark Studios, the game's creators, quickly shut down this first-person option. They released an update that removed access to the console commands, ending the experiment for most players. The developers explained that ARC Raiders was built from the ground up as a third-person game. Things like character animations, how players use cover, and interacting with the environment are all designed for the third-person view. Adding a proper first-person mode would be a huge task, almost like remaking parts of the game, which they said wasn't likely.

The focus of the game was never the PVP

Then there's the ongoing debate about PvP. Even though players often run into and fight each other in ARC Raiders, the developers keep saying it's not meant to be a competitive PvP game. They emphasize that the main goal should be fighting the robotic ARC threat and working together (or choosing not to). The creators have been clear that they won't be adding typical PvP features like leaderboards, kill feeds, or systems that highlight rival players.

The reason behind this decision is simple: the developers want to keep a certain "feel" to the game. They believe that adding competitive PvP systems would make players too focused on hunting each other. This would take away from the game’s unique social moments, where players might choose to team up or leave each other alone. By avoiding strong PvP rewards, they hope to encourage a wider range of player interactions, making the world of ARC Raiders feel more unpredictable and less like a constant deathmatch. It’s a delicate balance, trying to have PvP without it becoming the only focus. Don’t forget to use our price comparison tool to find the best prices for ARC Raiders.