If you thought you were tricking ARC Raiders into sorting you into strictly PvE-focused lobbies, you’re mistaken. It has been confirmed directly from the source at Embark Studios that the popular extraction adventure game does not do that. It’s just a coincidence that you’re being filed in with players who want a more peaceful time.
In a recent interview, Embark Studios’ design director, Virgil Watkins, confirmed that ‘binary’ Aggression-Based Matchmaking (or ABMM, to keep it simple) is not a thing in ARC Raiders. It’s not a one or the other debate, and you don’t get either friendly or violent lobbies when you explore the world outside Speranza.
ARC Raiders Doesn’t Have ‘Friendly Lobbies’
In a recent PC Gamer interview with Embark Studios, it was confirmed in clear terms that ARC Raiders does not use yay or nay Aggression-Based Matchmaking to funnel players into their matches.
This was confirmed by Virgil Watkins, the outspoken Embark developer who has been a fountain of knowledge of late:
We didn’t coin the term aggression-based matchmaking.
It’s not nearly as binary as people think. There’s no such thing as a friendly lobby or an aggressive lobby; the system is still mixing everybody, and everything’s down to human motivation. Just because you’re tending toward the more peaceful end doesn’t remove the autonomy from other people making a choice about wanting your stuff.
In Watkins’ terms, it might feel binary, but it’s not. You can’t shoot raiders and magically be put into a more PvP-focused lobby in the next round. He stressed it’s more nuanced than that, and what’s more, it’s constantly being evolved as the game matures. The team has noticed that players ‘have more fun’ in safer lobbies, but they’re not forcing it either way.
Later, Watkins stressed that it’s always up to the player how violent their lobbies are. It was pointed out that nobody is forcing you to shoot other players; that’s entirely up to you. He explained how certain groups of players will always feel more motivated to engage other players, but that’s their prerogative.
I think we just have to primarily make sure that the PvP side of the game is as fair as we can make it.
We still have the mantra—and this is even regardless of the formation of this PvE-heavy audience—that the game never asks you to fight other players. That’s entirely your own decision. So you’re always going to have people who have the motivation to fight, because there are people who just like PvP.
I think we need to keep making sure we’re providing them with the tools and means to do that in an engaging way.
It was also made very clear that the end-of-round surveys that players are prompted to resolve do not have a bearing on matchmaking. If you were killed in a brutal bout of PvP and say that you hated the combat in that round, you won’t then be placed in a quieter, safer lobby the next go-around.
Those are just to help us gauge how players felt about the round. They have no mechanical change on what happens to you. It is solely based on your actions in the round. Those just go to our data team and help us pair up like things that occurred in the server.
Do you feel like Embark Studios is being as up front as possible about ABMM in ARC Raiders, or do you still suspect it plays a major role in matchmaking? Let us know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Phil Spencer has retired from Xbox
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
What the f?! I was pretty sure a dev said it had ABMM like a couple months back? And now it’s the opposite??
came here to say this
💯