Arc Raiders, developed and published by Embark Studios (the team behind The Finals), is a PvPvE third-person extraction shooter released on October 30, 2025, for PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Players scavenge resources on a post-apocalyptic surface overrun by lethal ARC machines, craft/upgrade gear in the underground hub of Speranza, and extract while competing against other raiders—solo or in squads of up to three.
Critics have overwhelmingly praised it as a genre-defining triumph, making extraction shooters more accessible, tense, and replayable.
It holds a Metacritic score of 84-88 (PC/PS5), OpenCritic at 89-94 ('Mighty'), and standout reviews like IGN (positive, calling it a new standard), GameSpot (9/10: "unpredictable, immersive, thrilling story generator"), GamesRadar+ (memorable multiplayer), PC Gamer (enjoyable with great weapons/maps), and multiple 10/10s from Game Rant, Prima Games, etc. Strengths include tight gunplay, smart AI, stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals/audio, thoughtful progression, and a surprisingly wholesome community that fosters cooperation via proximity chat. Common minor gripes: limited weapon variety, loot system confusion, and launch bugs.
One outlier is Eurogamer's 2/5 (40/100), which tanked Metacritic slightly; it lauds gameplay/community but heavily docks for Embark's use of generative AI voices (with actor consent), calling it a lack of "artistic integrity" amid the game's pro-human theme.
This sparked backlash, as it's the reviewer's agenda over the final product (they gave flop Concord 3/5).
Player reception is stellar: 90% "Very Positive" from 48k+ Steam reviews, 4.4/5 on PS Store, 8.9 user Metacritic.
It peaked at 260k-700k concurrent players, topping Steam charts. X buzz highlights emergent stories, friendly vibes, and addictiveness, though some note desync/balance tweaks needed.
Overall, Arc Raiders is a polished, community-driven hit (think Tarkov meets RPG accessibility) that's worth $40 for shooter fans—especially co-op lovers. Ignore the AI noise; it's delivering on hype as 2025's top multiplayer surprise.