Embark Studios will test a PvE matchmaking toggle in Arc Raiders from October 13 to 20, 2026, the studio announced on September 24 in a post from executive producer Aleks. During that week, players of Arc Raiders can choose between the classic PvPvE extraction experience and a co-op mode where Raiders only fight the ARC. It is a test, not a new mode: Embark says the toggle will be removed when the week ends.
How the PvE Toggle Works
According to Embark, PvE sessions have zero player-to-player damage and focus “purely” on the ARC threat and co-op. Other details from the post:
- Solos, Duos and Trios share the same PvE sessions.
- Switching between PvE and PvPvE is designed to be seamless.
- Your PvPvE matchmaking rating is not affected by PvE play.
- Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate are excluded from PvE, because Embark says they depend on the uncertainty of meeting other players.
- Overall loot value is lower in PvE to balance the safety. PvPvE sessions get slightly higher baseline loot during the test.
- If you are downed by ARC in PvE, crawling can make them target you again. Staying still makes them ignore you.
Embark also warns that queue times could rise in low-population regions or off hours.
Why Embark Is Doing This
The post is unusually open about the numbers. Embark says 37% of players are “friendly co-op” players, a group that has grown since launch, while 34% are pure PvP players and 27% are mixed. It says over 70% of friendly players and 40% of PvP players want fewer hostile encounters, and that 51% of surveyed players are interested in a dedicated PvE option. It also cites frustration with ratting and camping.
There is history here too. Embark says Arc Raiders began life seven years ago as a raid-based PvE co-op game before the studio reset it into the PvPvE extraction shooter that shipped. That is why it calls the test “not a risk-free” one: PvE could drain some of the tension the game was built on.
What This Means for Players
Mark October 13 to 20 if you have avoided Arc Raiders because of other players, but do not treat it as a launch. Embark says plainly that “this test is not a promise that there will be a PvE mode in the future,” and that any later version could look very different. Embark wants feedback on the toggle alongside its upcoming Frozen Trail content update. Arc Raiders is not the only extraction shooter chasing PvE players: Bungie just laid out a permanent PvE mode and more for Marathon, and Dune: Awakening’s single-player mode shows another take on optional PvP. For more co-op picks, see our best PC co-op games of 2026 and best co-op PS5 games.
Source: Embark Studios, “We’re testing a PvE Toggle: here’s what it means for you,” September 24, 2026.