ARC Raiders PvE-Only Mode is Unlikely to Happen, and That Might Be for the Best

2 weeks ago 7

Published Jan 31, 2026, 10:31 AM EST

Miller Reynolds is a Journalist and Writer with a strong passion for gaming and writing news. Awarded the Excellence in Writing and Production Award while attending Loyalist College, Miller is experienced with covering a wide range of topics including politics, entertainment, and sports, and has been a dedicated gamer for over 25 years.

Miller's gaming roots began with classic 90's Nintendo games, but has since evolved into a love of all games from Dune: Awakening to Deep Rock Galactic. He Also enjoys strategy based games such as Civilization, Age of Empires, and Settlers of Catan. With a strong sense of gaming trends, Miller ensures readers are up-to-date with the most current gaming advancements and game guides.

Combining his two favourite passions, journalism, and gaming, Miller puts his heart and soul into the articles he writes, and is very proud to be able to connect with his readers.

ARC Raiders is a giant gumbo pot of mayhem where pretty much anything goes, and at first, the recipe may have been a little too spicy for some.

This is a game that attracts many different types of players, as some just want to complete quests, forage and craft, or join a team of friendly raiders battling a Matriarch.

However, as PvP is a core element of the game design, some raiders seek out a darker, more sinister path, like rigging the extraction point with traps and blowing up over-encumbered Raiders upon arrival.

This mixture of friendly and hostile players is the reason every raid is different, and that's what I love most about the game. One raid could be filled with tense standoffs and PvP, and the next ,you could become part of a generous co-operative group.

While many players began voicing frustrations and calling for a PvE-only mode, I think it's unlikely this will ever happen, as Embark is taking other measures to keep the peace, such as the addition of aggression-based matchmaking.

Friendly Raiders Stand United

Don't Shoot!

I've now logged north of 250 hours on ARC Raiders, and I'm starting to feel like this is the best game I've ever played. It's hilarious, wholesome, intense, brutal, and unforgiving.

When I first started playing, I believed there would be a much higher percentage of hostile players, and instinctively, I was shooting everybody on sight—sorry about that.

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I soon discovered that most of the people I encountered preferred to be helpful and generous, with many people playing the role of medics, using defibs on fallen raiders, and protecting one another from ambushes, and soon I was doing the same.

Humanity Prevails

"It's A Rat! Take Them Out!"

The majority of my time topside is spent being friendly, as my favorite activity is taking part in Matriarch and Queen battles with large groups working together to achieve victory. I've met some incredible people doing this, and I'm always surprised at how well these squads of strangers are able to pull together.

Most of the people I encountered preferred to be helpful and generous, with many people playing the role of medics

These giant ARCs require powerful weaponry to defeat, and hostile raiders are well aware of it. Often, these thieves will try to sneak up and kill their fellow raiders in an attempt to acquire epic and legendary guns and gear, but that's easier said than done if the group catches you in the act.

This is the biggest reason why I think a PvE-only mode is not only unnecessary but could be detrimental to the overall experience. I believe that aggression-based matchmaking and the powerful scorn of friendly raiders are enough to keep the hostiles at bay, and there are other features Embark can introduce to continue balancing the experience.

My colleague, Christian Bognar, highlighted some great ways to do this, including a truce system to stop betrayals from taking place, as well as an XP bonus for friendly or helpful raiders, and I think these are both great ideas.

Raider Rescue Reward

You Saved My Life!

ARC Raiders PvP Frustrates Many But There's Still No Signs Of A PvE-Only Mode, And That Might Be For The Best-1

Whenever I see a raider flare go up, I rush to the scene to see if I can help. Sometimes, if I arrive quickly enough, I'll catch a hostile in the act of knocking out a downed raider, and I'll be able to intervene and save their life.

If Embark adds bonus XP for acts of kindness such as this, whether it be for a 'Raider Rescue', or defeating ARCs as a team, it would be a great incentive for more friendly behavior.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy PvP, and sometimes I'll switch it up and head to Stella Montis to partake in some hectic gun battles, effectively becoming a thorn in everyone's side with a fully-loaded LMG, and a stack of trigger-nades, but, at the end of the day, it's just about being a good sport, having fun, and not taking the game too seriously.

I think Embark is doing a good job at balancing the blade while not taking away its edge, and I can't wait to see what comes next.