ARC Raiders Developers Don’t Want PvE Content to Change the Game’s Emotional Experience

Embark Studios is open to letting ARC Raiders players choose between PvP and PvE in the future after a successful test, but it does not want a PvE mode to undermine the game’s emotional core.

While Marathon’s attempt to offer a permanent PvE mode did not grow its audience, ARC Raiders received a positive response during a limited PvE test, aided by a free weekend. Embark Studios head Patrick Söderlund explained why the studio is in no rush to introduce such a mode.

We could just add PvE. That’s not difficult. But we didn’t want to disrupt or interfere too much with the core gameplay, because we believe PvP in a game that combines PvP and PvE creates the necessary tension.

When you make a game, you try to evoke emotions in players. If you succeed, you’re probably doing something right. It could be joy or fear. It all depends on your goals. A game that evokes different emotions is more likely to succeed. ARC Raiders touches on many of them, and removing one important element would disrupt the game’s core emotional experience. We decided that would be the wrong thing to do.

Söderlund believes encounters with other players create a particular tension: a squad might pass by peacefully or shoot you in the back. He says that unpredictability attracts players. But demand for PvE has grown, and the studio can no longer ignore it. The latest test showed that such a mode is feasible, although the amount of loot had to be reduced to compensate for the lower risk.

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