ARC Raiders is one of the biggest games of 2025 by far, boasting a massive player base, a stunning delivery, and the promise of plenty more content to come. It’s an electrifying extraction adventure that millions of people have bought into, and it’s challenging the likes of Escape from Tarkov with ease.
However, regardless of how good ARC Raiders is, there are still plenty of features players want to see added in 2026. What follows below are the 7 features that we want to see added to ARC Raiders in 2026.
7 ARC Raiders Changes We Want to See
PvE Servers or Modes
Fighting other players in ARC Raiders is a core part of the central gameplay experience, but it would be nice if there were also a PvE-exclusive mode or server selection that users could jump into to have an ‘easier ride’. For some, PvP is too punishing and stressful, and it would be great if Embark Studios could accommodate those players with their own ‘ecosystem’.
If Escape from Tarkov can muster up a PvE mode, then ARC Raiders should be able to do it too.
Better Outfit Customization
ARC Raiders has a stunning array of outfits, but they’re just that, outfits. It would be brilliant if players could cherry-pick parts of outfits to equip on their character, rather than throwing on something whole and mostly static. What if I love the helmet on one outfit but think it would go better with a jacket on another outfit?
It would likely be hard to implement as the outfits are intricately designed one by one, but some kind of transmog feature in ARC Raiders would be great.
New Maps
This is an obvious one, but we want to see more maps in ARC Raiders in 2026. The game has a neat assortment of maps already, but there’s a world of potential out there. It’s a known fact that Embark Studios plans to add plenty more, but it’s not just about getting new maps; it’s about getting quality maps that are a wonder to explore.
The first new map, released in November 2025, was Stella Montis, and it proved to be a die-hard PvP map with tight quarters and narrow sightlines.
Item Insurance
In some extraction games, item insurance is a core mechanic that allows you to recoup some losses when you’re killed in action. In ARC Raiders, that’s not a feature. If you die in the field, your equipment will be lost forever. The only difference to that rule is when you’re killed by a cheater, Embark Studios will refund your equipment.
If they can do it for cheaters, then surely they can implement a mechanic that allows users to insure their items, so if they die in a raid, they get their loadout back after a few hours.
Less Punishing Stamina Mechanics
The stamina mechanics in ARC Raiders are a bane for many players. They’re too strict in many ways, and when your stamina bar empties while you’re running away from an engagement, you’ll find that you almost stop dead on the spot, unable to move. In a desperate situation, it’s far too unrealistic, and it leaves players feeling frustrated quite often.
Even when you’ve maximized your stamina-focused skill points, it still feels as though your stamina bar empties too quickly. Better stamina mechanics would make for a new feature in ARC Raiders in 2026.
Expedition Adjustments
The Expedition Project is the optional wipe mechanic in ARC Raiders, and it allows players to donate stacks of resources to escape Speranza into the great beyond. Once they’ve done that, they’ll be left with a new and fresh character, ready to go again. However, the requirements for completing an Expedition Project are pretty insane.
To get the maximum rewards possible from completing an Extraction Project, you need to have a stash value (coins included) of five million. It feels inaccessible for the more casual gamers who will be left out in the cold when they realize they won’t gain much from their Expedition Project.
More Achievements
ARC Raiders has a fine assortment of achievements and trophies, but they’re far too easy to unlock just by exploring the game and ticking a few boxes. As the game is a live-service title that’s set to evolve over a number of years, it would be good to see more achievements surface with the successive updates that hit the game.
This keeps completionists occupied and able to enjoy the game more. If you play ARC Raiders for around 50 hours and see all there is to see, it’s a fair chance you’ll have almost unlocked all the achievements.
What would you like to see added to ARC Raiders in the next year or so? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
I feel like PVE and Insurance are super unnecessary.
A PvE Mode is basically in the game with aggression based matchmaking whilst it would split the playerbase like Tarkov does, where all Sweatlords play PvP leaving decent people no chance.
And as for insurance, acquiring gear is SO EASY in this game, there is no need whatsoever for it. Also, free kits available at all times on all maps is basically your Insurance. Lost a good kit? Just queue a free kit and get at least the money value back you just lost.
Rest of them are solid and I think 2026 will be big for ARC Raiders.
Insurance I don’t think is needed at all. The game is pretty generous, especially if a pve mode is introduced which I AM highly for. Co op is so much more fun, and both servers would be populated by people who enjoy each. PvP can have their sweats while people who like a more team based or casual experience can have their fun too.