ARC Raiders is the next shooter installment from Embark Studios, known for fun and frantic The Finals.
Instead of being an FPS though, ARC Raiders turns to the third-person realm on a future Earth, pitting you against some really scary invading machines.
Let’s take a look at the ARC Raiders release date, any trailers, platforms, and more, so you know what’s in store for you if you want to add another game to your library.
ARC Raiders expected release date
After a few years of waiting, we now have an ARC Raiders release window – 2025. This obviously isn’t as specific as we would like it to be but at least we have a year to go off, allowing for that hype to creep in.
There is a Playtest scheduled before 2024 is out which will give us a more concrete idea for how far along in development the game is.
Hopefully, the Playtest isn’t too janky because then we may even see ARC Raiders in the first half 2025.
ARC Raiders trailers
There have been three trailers for ARC Raiders – the reveal, the Closed Alpha trailer, and the Gamescom 2024 teaser.
Looking initially at the reveal of the game, surprisingly the trailer featured gameplay as well as cinematics, somewhat of a rarity on these first looks.
Being almost three minutes in length, you really get a feel for what kind of world Embark is trying to build for the game, with large mechanical machines also looking to tear it to the ground.
Next, we have the trailer for the Closed Alpha which took place in 2023.
This one was very gameplay-centric, noting that the game has switched from its PvE roots to now include PvP.
Again, it sets the tone for what to expect from the world of ARC Raiders, putting even more of an emphasis on the choices that you make really meaning something.
Finally, we have the Gamescom 2024 teaser. This is the shortest trailer of the three and was more of a release date announcement more than anything.
There were some sneak peeks as to how the game has developed in the time between the last trailer to this, but for the most part it just showed glimpses of gameplay.
ARC Raiders platforms
ARC Raiders will launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, skipping older gen consoles.
This isn’t really a shock because this not only seems to be a trend with 2025 releases, it is just about that time where the previous generation hardware can’t keep up anyway.
For the PC release, you’ll be able to play via Epic and Steam as well as GeForce Now if you’re a subscriber to that service.
Is ARC Raiders free to play?
When first announced, ARC Raiders was a free to play game but now, after the most recent Gamescom 2024 announcement, it has changed to a paid experience.
ARC Raiders will now cost $40, a pretty stark difference to what was the case originally.
If it were something like a $15 or $20 title, it would have been an easier pill to swallow but $40 is quite a big monetary commitment for most.
Is ARC Raiders an extraction game?
Similar to that of the previously announced free-to-play nature of the game being taken away, ARC Raiders was first revealed as a PvE-only title.
However, as things have evolved, ARC Raiders is now classed as a PvPvE action survival shooter.
This is a little buzzwordy but essentially this means that yes, ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter, likely with similar mechanics to that of what you’re seeing from newer entrants to the market.
We’ll know how extraction-focused it is when the upcoming Playtest goes live.
When is the ARC Raiders Playtest?
If you want to get some game time in on ARC Raiders before the 2025 launch, there is a scheduled Playtest you can get involved in that will allow you to do just that.
The ARC Raiders Playtest will be available from October 24, 2024 to October 27, 2024 granting you 3 days to get acquainted with the experience.
This is only the first Playtest though and there could be subsequent ones announced later down the line so don’t fret too much if you can’t make it.
