As people who work on multiplayer games for a living, we tend to be cautious with praise. Genres develop habits. Extraction shooters especially carry a reputation for being punishing, opaque, and unwelcoming unless you are already invested. ARC Raiders does exactly the opposite.
From the first few runs, ARC Raiders sets expectations through play rather than explanation. You learn quickly what you are risking, what you can afford to lose, and how situations spiral when you stay too long or push too far. Outcomes feel tied to choices you made along the way, not to hidden rules or sudden surprises. The tension comes from deciding when to commit and when to walk away.
So when ARC Raiders won Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards in December 2025, it felt like recognition of a game that knows what kind of experience it wants to deliver and executes on it consistently.
As a studio that collaborated on the project, we are proud to have played a part. As developers and players, we also think ARC Raiders earns the attention it is getting.
ARC Raiders Holds Up After Dozens of Hours
One of the most common sentiments from reviewers is how well ARC Raiders holds attention over time. Players often mention being just as engaged deep into their playtime as they were at the start, which is not a given for this genre.
That impression is backed up by player data. According to Sensor Tower, ARC Raiders shows an average playtime of 64.1 hours, with a median playtime of 34.1 hours. Those numbers suggest that a large portion of the player base is not just sampling the experience, but committing to it over many sessions.
Part of this comes down to how recovery works after a loss. Losing gear is costly, but players are given practical ways to get back into the game. Free loadouts, crafting, vendor purchases, and steady character progression mean that a single successful run can meaningfully rebuild your setup. Reviewers often describe this structure as making losses feel manageable rather than terminal, which helps sustain longer-term play.
Gunfights Feel Stressful for the Right Reasons
A lot of player praise around ARC Raiders centers on how combat feels once the stakes are high. One Steam reviewer, writing after more than 40 hours of playtime, described every mission as carrying “real tension,” shaped by uncertainty rather than constant action.
That tension comes from uncertainty rather than constant fighting. The reviewer describes each drop as carrying excitement and fear at the same time, where you never quite know how an encounter will resolve. Choosing when to move, when to engage, and when to back off becomes part of every mission.
The same review points out that combat is not always the default outcome. Despite the risk of betrayal, players often choose cooperation, especially when the stakes are high. That possibility reshapes how encounters play out, making judgment and restraint as important as technical skill.
For many players, that balance is the appeal. Gunfights are intense without being constant, and when they happen, they feel earned.
Progression That Encourages “One More Run”
In a detailed Steam user review of ARC Raiders, the player describes how quickly the game settled into a repeatable rhythm, even when runs ended badly:
“I found myself thinking ‘just one more run’ more times than I expected.”
The review points to progression as a major reason. Advancement is not tied only to successful extractions. Experience continues to accumulate even after failure, which changes how losses feel over time.
“There’s a skill tree. You earn XP if you extract and even if you don’t, you still get XP, so you’re always progressing in some way.”
The same Steam review also comments on how gear progression avoids creating a steep divide between new and experienced players. Stronger weapons exist, but they do not decide outcomes on their own.
“Better guns are better, but it’s never the reason you win or lose a fight.”
Crafting and upgrading extend that sense of continuity between runs. Materials recovered during expeditions can be turned into new equipment or upgrades back at base, which gives players options even after losing valuable gear. Taken together, we can positively say that the progression system supports continued play by rewarding time and familiarity rather than erasing progress after a single loss.
IGN Praises ARC Raiders’ Longevity, Progression, and Player Dynamics
IGN points to ARC Raiders’ ability to remain engaging well beyond the early hours as one of its biggest strengths. The reviewer frames long-term enjoyment as the real test of a multiplayer game and notes that ARC Raiders continues to deliver that experience deep into extended playtime. Rather than relying on novelty, IGN credits the game for executing the extraction formula with consistency, calling it one of the most complete versions of the genre to date.
IGN also praises how progression supports that longevity. Free loadouts, crafting, upgrades, and vendor purchases give players practical ways to recover after losses, which helps sustain engagement without removing risk. According to the review, even after losing valuable gear, a single strong run can meaningfully restore your position, making repeated play feel worthwhile over time.
Player interaction is another area IGN responds positively to. The review notes that solo encounters often involve cooperation rather than immediate conflict, while group queues allow for more aggressive play when players seek it out. This balance between tension and restraint is presented as a key reason ARC Raiders feels approachable without losing the pressure expected from an extraction shooter.
Our Role as Co-Developers
We worked on ARC Raiders as part of the co-development effort at Devoted Studios, collaborating closely with Embark Studios.
Our contributions focused on UI, engineering support, and performance-related work. The goal was to reinforce clarity and reliability across the experience. In a game built around consequence, small details make a measurable difference in how players read situations and trust the game to behave as expected.
Being part of a project that reached this level of recognition and seeing ARC Raiders go on to win Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards made that work especially meaningful. Being part of a project where that level of care resonated so strongly with players and the industry is something we’re genuinely proud of.
