For those not in the know, ARC Raiders is an in-development, free-to-play, third-person extraction shooter from the studio that’s also working to bring you The Finals. That’s the sensational first-person shooter with some serious teeth that just underwent a hugely successful open beta phase.
Recently, a few snippets of gameplay from ARC Raiders’ alpha leaked online, revealing a game that looks absolutely gorgeous at first blush and boasts some seriously unique mechanics and elements. It’s an extraction shooter through and through, fusing intense combat with sumptuous visuals and an inherent sense that you should trust nobody – ever.
ARC Raiders Could Top The Extraction Shooter Charts
Hours ago, one user uploaded a series of videos to YouTube that perfectly showcase several core elements of ARC Raiders. From fighting tooth and nail against a mechanised enemy to trying to reason with overly violent players, ARC Raiders looks as though it offers everything we’ve come to expect from extraction shooters – and then some.
Here’s the suite of ARC Raiders footage that was uploaded, while it remains online:
- Reasoning with other players
- Getting into a fight while extracting
- Hostile squad combat
- Fighting bots
Built in UE5, ARC Raiders (from Embark Studios) looks flawless even in its alpha build, and the third-person perspective is certainly a unique offering in the extraction shooter space. There’s a dense backstory being fleshed out by the studio, too. In ARC Raiders, players assume the role of… Well, an ARC Raider, originating from the underground colony of ‘Speranza’, seeking safety from a ‘mysterious mechanised threat’.
Related: Escape From Tarkov’s Newest Map For Newbies
It could be argued that the best extraction shooter in the business right now is Escape From Tarkov, and one advantage that ARC Raiders has over that game is that it’ll also be available on consoles, instantly boosting its footprint. It will also be free-to-play, while Tarkov requires a substantial upfront investment. That probably means microtransactions and seasons are headed our way, but that’s our world now.
It isn’t yet known when ARC Raiders will be released, but it’s expected that the team wants to ship The Finals first, given that game’s recent success.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the reveal of what’s coming next in Call of Duty
Gonna be DOA if it launches in 3P. Extraction games are always at least a bit hardcore in style and 3P is not a fit.