Embark Studios producer Aleksander Grøndal says a dedicated PvE mode for ARC Raiders is “very possible” — and the studio will run a pure PvE test from October 13 to 20.
What's happening
In comments reported by Insider Gaming, Grøndal confirmed that Embark will test a pure PvE experience next week, running October 13–20. The test is described as the first tentative step toward a dedicated PvE mode — something the community has requested since the extraction shooter's launch in late 2025.
A PvE split would let players take on the ARC machines cooperatively without the threat of other raiders — addressing one of the most divisive aspects of the extraction formula.
Why now
The timing is no coincidence. Frozen Trail, the game's biggest update yet, just pushed Steam concurrent players to 131,000 — a six-month high — and the game is free to play through October 12. Embark is riding a wave of goodwill, and floating the PvE test now keeps that momentum going into next week.
We covered the full Frozen Trail comeback in detail — the new Pendola Pass map, reworked skill tree, outposts, and Embark's “no warnings, no second chances” anti-cheat stance.
What “possible” really means
Grøndal stopped short of confirming a permanent PvE mode — “possible” is doing a lot of work here. But running a week-long public test is a serious signal. Studios don't trial features at this scale unless they're genuinely evaluating them. The October 13–20 window will be the real tell: strong participation and positive feedback makes a permanent split much harder to walk back.
KongMNG's take
A PvE mode would fundamentally change who ARC Raiders is for. The extraction genre lives on PvP tension, but there's a huge audience that loves the loop — drop in, loot, extract — without the squad-wiping. If the test goes well, Embark could double its addressable player base. Watch next week's numbers closely.