Description: ARC Raiders launches a limited-time PvE matchmaking test on October 13, 2026. Getting shot by another Raider is off the table, but how will strangers handle the same locked rooms and valuable drops?
The PvE queue turns damage between players off. It doesn't turn scavenging into a private shopping trip. Everyone still enters the world to gather resources, and getting first pick of a hard-earned drop is a different concern from getting shot in the back.
Embark's test runs October 13–20, ending at 11:00 CEST. Update 2.1 confirms the rollout. During the test, players can choose between the familiar PvPvE matchmaking and a temporary PvE alternative.
The awkward part of playing nicely
A Reddit poster who describes themselves as a peaceful player brought up a particularly specific worry: suppose you use your own key to open a locked room, or spend your resources bringing down an ARC, and another Raider rushes in to collect the rewards. Other commenters took the opposite view. Removing the threat of gunfire, they argued, is what makes spontaneous cooperation feel possible.
Both reactions get at the strange charm of ARC Raiders. A stranger running toward you might help, or they might pull the trigger. Some people love having to make that judgment; others would rather fight the machines and enjoy the search for supplies. PvE lets those preferences meet in the same landscape.
What actually changes?
Embark says player-to-player damage is zero. Stun and fire throwables won't affect fellow Raiders, although equipment such as barricades and ziplines still works. Solo players, duos and trios can share a match. Loot value will be lower overall to reflect the reduced danger.
Several special map conditions, including Night Raid, Locked Gate and Hidden Bunker, are excluded from PvE. The ARC machines are still deadly. A downed player has an eight-second grace period, after which moving can attract the machines' attention again. So think less “invincible sightseeing” and more “survival with one particular threat removed.”
The announcement does not establish separate ownership rules for loot in locked rooms or drops from defeated enemies. The Reddit example is a prediction about possible friction, rather than a confirmed result from the beta.
Will PvE stay after October 20?
The toggle is scheduled to be removed at the end of the test. Embark says player feedback, queue times and the effects on the game's economy will help determine the next step. The studio is also watching how splitting matchmaking might change the tension at the heart of ARC Raiders.
For one week, everyone gets to ask a deceptively simple question: when strangers stop shooting each other, do they become better neighbors—or just faster scavengers? The answer might reveal itself in front of the next open crate.
Sources, checked October 13, 2026: Embark's October 12 PvE rules · Embark's October 13 update 2.1 · Reddit discussion about peaceful play and loot
