While Arc Raiders has seen its explosive post-launch momentum settle since the end of last year, it maintains a robust and dedicated player base. According to SteamDB, the title consistently draws 40,000 to 50,000 concurrent players on PC alone. For those who stepped away from Speranza, a highly anticipated quality-of-life improvement might just be the incentive needed to return.
The game’s matchmaking architecture has long been a hot topic within the community, primarily due to its unique aggression-based algorithm. Essentially, the system monitors your combat habits: the more frequently you engage human opponents, the more likely you are to be placed in lobbies filled with other aggressive players. Conversely, if your focus remains strictly on PvE combat against Arc machines, you’ll find yourself in more peaceful, “low-aggression” lobbies. This is all managed through a hidden rating system that determines your match quality.
However, this system previously frustrated many players. It was common for users to adopt a passive, gear-focused playstyle when flying solo, only to switch to a competitive, high-aggression approach when grouped with friends. Because the game utilized a single, unified rating, playing aggressively in squads inevitably forced players into more volatile lobbies, even when they were trying to have a quiet solo session. Thankfully, the developers have addressed this oversight.
With the release of update 1.36.0, your playstyle is now tracked independently across Solos, Duos, and Trios. As outlined in the official patch notes:
“Previously, being a friendly solo player could inadvertently pull you into more competitive trio matches, and vice versa. Now, these categories have zero overlap.”
“You can transition from peaceful resource gathering in Solo rounds to high-octane PvP in Trio matches—or any combination thereof—without your habits in one mode influencing your matchmaking in another. All three squad sizes are now tracked entirely on their own.”
While this update is a fantastic refinement, it likely isn’t the catalyst that will catapult Arc Raiders back to its previous viral popularity—the upcoming “Frozen Trail” update in October is better positioned for that. Regardless, it represents a meaningful quality-of-life upgrade that elevates the overall player experience.
Beyond matchmaking, update 1.36.0 introduces a new cosmetic outfit obtainable via Embark Studios’ sister title, The Finals. Furthermore, the studio has confirmed that the rollout of Denuvo anti-cheat is complete, while simultaneously pushing forward with fixes for item duplication glitches and expanding the restrictions on free loadouts across various map conditions.
If your Arc Raiders matches are mostly hostile, it’s your own fault
You get what you give
10
Source: Polygon
