ARC Raiders is a hit for developer Embark Studio. The extraction shooter had more than 700,000 players since its launch last week, according to an Instagram post from the developer, and there’s a new update out with a feature fans have been clamoring for.
Duos matching is now an option in ARC Raiders, as confirmed in an update note on the official site on Wednesday. Previously, players would either play online in solo matchmaking or a squad of three people, but now, two-person teams can do a run together in hopes of finding the best loot.
ARC Raiders has players take the role of raiders in a post-apocalyptic Earth where robots called ARC machines have forced humans to take shelter in underground settlements. Raiders go solo or in groups to head Topside to find any valuable loot and complete quests. While outside, players have to contend with the various ARC machines roaming the land as well as humans who can take a raider out and steal that loot.
The excitement of the game stems from the extraction mechanic. To get their loot back to the settlement, players need to find extraction points such as an elevator or train. Once the extraction process starts, an alarm goes off, alerting the machines and other raiders to what’s happening, requiring players to try and survive any attacks in order to get their loot safely back to the base.
Embark Studios says the update went live earlier in the week, and it will prioritize matching up players in their respective queue — solos with solos, duos with duos and squads with squads. The developer did say that because this option has just been implemented, duos could come across squads when playing online.
What else is new in the latest ARC Raiders update?
Embark Studios also said it reviewed the prices of cosmetic purchases in-game and plans to lower them. The developer says the lower prices will be live starting Thursday. Those players who purchased the higher-priced cosmetics will be compensated for the difference in the coming week.
When is the next big ARC Raiders update?
Also happening on Thursday is the North Line update. This patch will feature a Community Unlock Event where players can contribute resources for a tunnel project, which will unlock the fifth map, Stella Montis. Along with the event to unlock the new rea, the update will have new ARC enemies, a legendary weapon and more quests.
ARC Raiders is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S consoles for $40.
