ARC Raiders Players Still Miss PvE. What Has Embark Said About Its Return?
Some Raiders say they stopped again after the PvE test. Fresh November reactions meet Embark’s new interview, group-play requests and the progression debate.
Some ARC Raiders players say they've stopped playing again since the PvE test ended. In fresh November discussions, others say they still enjoy solo raids but want protected sessions with friends. Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund has now addressed that audience directly: “We can't ignore the PvE camp completely.”
The question now is what those players would come back for. Their answers include an option for occasional relaxed raids, tougher cooperative fights and concerns about having to build a second character from scratch.
Reported November 6, 2026. Player experiences below come from November 1 to 6 discussions. Hero artwork is original fan art.
Key takeaways
- Recent Reddit accounts include Raiders waiting for PvE to return and others who miss it while continuing to play.
- Söderlund's comment comes from The Game Business's November 3 interview.
- Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal says almost half of the test's rounds were played on PvE servers.
- No PvE return date appears in the official news checked on November 6.
Are ARC Raiders players still missing PvE?
Yes, some are saying so weeks after the October 13 to 20 test. Several describe stopping again once the toggle disappeared, with a return tied to getting that option back.
On November 5, Reddit user squeaky-to-b wrote:
“I'll be back when the PvE Toggle is.”
In the same comment, they say they'd stopped again after the beta. On November 1, iSmiteYourMom said the game wasn't installed and they wouldn't return before PvE was available.
There's a group-play example too. On November 2, bassie2019 said the test brought them and a friend back to ARC Raiders. When it ended, they returned to GTA5. Their account describes wanting to fight ARC together after finding regular duo lobbies increasingly hostile.
These posts show people still asking for the mode in November. They don't establish how many players left. Other replies in the break-taking discussion mention expedition changes and wider frustrations, so a falling player count can't be assigned to one removed option from these accounts.
Our PvE test retrospective covers the October response. These later comments show that, for some of those asking for a return, the interest has outlasted the test week.
What did Embark say about PvE?
In The Game Business's November 3 interview, Söderlund discusses giving players a choice while protecting ARC Raiders' identity and tension.
Grøndal supplies the new participation figure: almost 50% of rounds during the test were played on PvE servers. He also describes mixed reactions, with some players loving the option and others changing their minds after trying it. Analysis was still ongoing.
The interview supplies neither a permanent-mode commitment nor a return date.
The embedded interview starts at the segment containing Söderlund's comment.
What do players want back?
Protected play with friends is a recurring request in the selected discussions, including from people who like the ordinary game on their own.
On November 6, Send_StockPicks said they were happy with solo matchmaking but wanted to fight Frigate or Emperor alongside friends without shooting other Raiders. Frigate was excluded from the October PvE test under Embark's rules; future availability hasn't been announced.
Another player, be_nice_2_ewe, said on November 1 that they still enjoyed friendly core lobbies and preferred their loot, while also missing PvE. Keeping the toggle would let someone choose a protected session without giving up regular raids.
The appeal also includes helping strangers. In the November 5 discussion, Home_Bound described shooting ARC off other players, reviving them and giving support. Cooperative play already happens in normal lobbies. The toggle changes whether the person you've just helped can turn around and kill you.
Those are different reasons to want the option. Someone looking for a relaxed scavenging session may be happy with familiar enemies. A group looking for a difficult machine fight needs a challenge worth taking on. awny777 argued for stronger ARC to encourage cooperation. That remains a player proposal.
What about players who prefer regular lobbies?
Some of the same threads contain positive accounts of ordinary raids. One newcomer, WM_, said they started during the test and barely noticed when it ended. Friendly encounters continued for a long stretch before two betrayals made them more cautious. Their reported 60 hours cover their total time playing, including the test.
That experience helps explain why a friendly regular lobby can satisfy one player while another wants player damage switched off. WM_ had enjoyable encounters after the toggle disappeared; bassie2019's duo found their sessions hostile enough to leave again.
On November 5, etzellux said they played the beta frequently to complete quests but found it boring compared with their usual friendly solo lobbies. They also felt people talked less. Frequent play didn't mean they preferred the mode.
The disagreement doesn't fall neatly along PvP and PvE lines. In the November 6 thread, Smoothoos identified as a PvP player and supported letting others choose their preferred mode.
Would players accept separate PvE progression?
Separate progression already divides players discussing a possible return. One concern is protecting the regular game's economy. Another is finding time for two characters.
On November 5, noso2143 argued for a separate character and progression, seeing that as the way to avoid either a restricted PvE experience or balance problems in the mixed mode.
Stratix raised the opposite concern on November 6. They like switching between relaxed sessions and the uncertainty of playing around other people, but don't have time to progress separately in both.
A return built around two stashes could disappoint players who want to keep one Raider and choose the mood of a session. Shared progression brings its own questions about rewards earned under different risks. The October test used lower overall loot value in PvE, but it doesn't settle how a lasting version should work.
Our earlier report on PvE loot disputes and interference covers another part of that problem. Preventing player damage still leaves competition over shared loot and ways to spoil a run.
What does the evidence actually show?
| Evidence | What it establishes | What it doesn't measure |
|---|---|---|
| More than 30 million PvE rounds | Embark's October 20 closing statement reports substantial test activity. | Unique participants or post-test retention. |
| Almost 50% of test rounds on PvE servers | The interview reports the share of rounds played in that option. | The share of players who want it permanently. |
| November comments about leaving or missing PvE | Individual players describe an ongoing interest after the test. | Community-wide opinion or the number who stopped playing. |
| Requests for separate progression or harder ARC | Players disagree about what a return should offer. | An announced Embark development plan. |
Embark's October 20 closing statement said it would analyze feedback and game data, with a survey for a representative sample of players. Selected public comments serve a different purpose: they explain experiences and requests in the players' own words.
ARC Raiders PvE return FAQ
Is the PvE toggle back?
No return announcement appears in the official news checked on November 6, 2026. The latest checked releases are the November 3 store update and November 5 hotfix.
Did Embark promise it would return in November?
The closing statement said further information was expected in November. It didn't promise a November launch.
Will returning PvE players need a separate character?
Separate characters and stashes are being debated by players. They aren't confirmed rules for a returning mode in the official announcements checked for this article.
What were the October test's restrictions?
Player damage was disabled and overall loot value was lower. Night Raid, Locked Gate, Hidden Bunker, Frigate and Redirection were excluded. Our PvE test rules guide covers the details.
Are you still raiding, waiting for the toggle, or hoping it returns with different rules? Tell other Raiders what would get your group playing again in the community forum.
Sources and reporting notes
This article uses Embark's announcements, the original Game Business interview and selected Reddit posts and comments published November 1 to 6. Comments are attributed personal accounts, not a representative poll. Allegations of cheating and unsupported claims about player-count changes are excluded.
- Christopher Dring, The Game Business, interview with Patrick Söderlund and Aleksander Grøndal, November 3, 2026. Original publisher transcript, PvE discussion from 11:23 to 15:39.
- Embark, PvE Test: Thanks for Playing, October 20, 2026.
- Embark, PvE Toggle: What to Know, October 12, 2026.
- Embark news index, November 3 store update 2.4.0 and November 5 hotfix 2.4.1, checked November 6.
- r/ARC_Raiders, Come on Embark, launch the PVE mode already, November 1. Comments by iSmiteYourMom and be_nice_2_ewe.
- r/ArcRaiders, What caused you to take a break playing the game?, November 2. Comment by bassie2019.
- r/ArcRaiders, Got to play 60 hours before shot in the back, November 2. Account by WM_.
- r/ArcRaiders, discussion of the almost-50% rounds disclosure, November 4 to 5. Comments by etzellux, noso2143 and awny777.
- r/ArcRaiders, Welp finally happening to me too, November 5. Comments by squeaky-to-b and Home_Bound.
- r/ArcRaiders, discussion of Embark catering to PvE and PvP, November 6. Comments by Send_StockPicks, Stratix and Smoothoos.