ARC Raiders aims to be both: a thrilling extraction shooter and a game for spontaneous alliances. This has even officially become part of its identity, after the team consciously incorporated a PvP element, including "uncertain alliances" as a design element.
But this is precisely where the problem lies: Unclear social rules not only make betrayal possible, but in many situations, the most effective strategy. And when betrayal becomes the standard interaction, cooperation dies. Then only paranoia and kill-on-sight remain.
The core problem is not PvP, but rather a breach of expectations.
PvP itself isn't the issue. A clear PvP mode would be perfectly fine, because everyone would know what they're getting into from the start.
What becomes toxic is this gray area:
Someone says “don’t shoot”, plays friendly, runs alongside you briefly, waits until you want to loot or show your back, then the headshots come.
This doesn't feel like a fair loss. It feels like being tricked because the system rewards social deception.
Even Embark essentially admits that "friendly" lobbies are not a permanent state. According to Design Director Virgil Watkins, matchmaking is not binary; it continues to mix different playstyles, and even in "safe" rounds, someone can always go bust.
My two situations perfectly illustrate why this doesn't work.
Anecdote 1: Went in with high-geared gear, not looking for PvP, but still got betrayed.
We jumped back into a game, all heavily geared. We cleared a room and encountered one or two teams who deliberately avoided us. No PvP, no stress. Then we met another team who said something like, "Yeah, we're friendly," "Don't shoot," "Please."
I saw them first. I would have had enough time to shoot and take down at least two. In a pure PvP fight, they would have stood virtually no chance. Many people simply pose no threat in a direct duel.
And what happens? I trust the friendly talk, turn away, and bam, two headshots from behind. Dead. Loot gone.
That's the point: not because they were better, but because the system allows them to play nicely until it's worthwhile, and then cheat without warning.
Anecdote 2: Depot scene, friendly call, then the shot in the back.
Another situation, thankfully not serious, back in the 3 Series.
I'm standing in the depot. A friend says he's positioned himself elsewhere and sees a team of three. I approach them: "Hey, you guys are friendly? What's up…?" They reply: "Yeah, we're friendly."
I said, “Okay, nice, have a nice day,” and went over to the Resource Depot to loot.
And again: a headshot from behind.
My two buddies got their revenge and wiped out the team. They hadn't seen the opponents beforehand. Same pattern again: say "friendly," wait until you play the loot, then backstab.
And the absurd thing is: I'd already spotted them from a distance, from above. I was riding a fully upgraded Renegade with top attachments. If I'd just been playing "normal PvP," two of them would have been down from afar before they even noticed me. The "power play" here wasn't skill, but an ambush after a friendly warning.
Why this is structural, not “bad luck”
This is not an isolated incident. The "don't shoot, then cheat" approach is openly discussed within the community. There's even advice to immediately distance yourself if you hear "don't shoot," because the window for betrayal is always there.
At the same time, you see how often people ask if PvE-only is possible in the first place because they have zero interest in PvP and want to avoid exactly that chaos. In a large Steam thread, the question "Option to do PvE only?" is discussed at length, and the core answer is: no, PvEvP is mandatory.
And the topic keeps popping up outside of Steam as well: Even articles about the current event situation mention that there are many demands for a PvE-only mode.
Embark is already testing this need, but as an event.
The Shared Watch event is essentially an attempt to encourage cooperation. The official patch notes state: Merits are earned through ARC damage and ARC kills, not PvP encounters. According to Embark, the event runs from February 10th, 2026 to February 24th, 2026.
GameSpot describes the same goal very clearly: to promote cooperation, “the machines are the real enemy”, PvP brings no merit advantage in the event logic.
This is important because it shows that the problem is well-known enough that active countermeasures are being taken. However, a time-limited event is no substitute for a real game mode.
What a PvE mode in ARC Raiders should be (otherwise it's pointless)
A PvE mode shouldn't be "the same, just without player damage." It needs content that only makes sense in PvE:
1) Instanced raids for 3 to 4 players
Boss design with mechanics, not just more HP.
Phases, weak points, adds, positioning, goal priorities, resource management.
This even fits with what ARC Raiders already has to some extent: PC Gamer describes Queen and Matriarch as PvE encounters that feel “almost like raid encounters” and are intended to promote cooperation.
And Embark simultaneously states: These encounters aren't actually intended for the entire server lobby to be dogpiled and everyone to be rewarded equally. This signals that "dedicated squad encounters" would be the cleaner approach.
2) Matchmaking with random fill without paranoia
If there is a PvE queue, you can actually fill up with randoms because backstabbing is technically impossible.
Then you try out builds, get to know people, farm boss materials specifically, and do runs even without a fixed circle of friends.
3) Progression and loot that rewards PvE
Not just cosmetics, but crafting materials, boss-specific drops, maybe even blueprints.
Then PvE has its own endgame loop.
And yes: PvP should remain, but please keep it properly separated.
Your WoW comparison hits the nail on the head:
In WoW you know when to do PvE and when to do PvP.
There are PvP zones, battlegrounds, and arenas. You go in there knowing what to expect.
ARC Raiders could solve this in the same way:
PvE mode for ARC, raids, and boss hunts.
PvP mode or clearly marked PvP areas with special rewards.
Optional: Arena-style PvP, where skill counts and not “friendly bait”.
Then PvP players would still have plenty to play, even better content, because it would be about real PvP and not just microphone-based posturing. And PvE players would finally get an environment where cooperation isn't a bad thing.
Conclusion
At the moment, ARC Raiders in many runs is less about “extraction with tension” and more about “social expectation violation as meta”.
The problem isn't that you're dying.
The problem is that you die because you wanted to be kind, and the game optimally rewards the abuse of trust.
Embark has already shown with Shared Watch that PvE co-op works as a focus and that PvP incentives can also be deliberately reduced.
The logical next step is a permanent PvE mode with real raid encounters and clearly separated PvP, so that every playstyle has its place.
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