Embark Studios is running a week-long pure PvE test in ARC Raiders from October 13 to 20. Zero PvP damage, solos through trios in the same sessions, and a loot rebalance — here's how it all works.
What's happening
The test opens Tuesday, October 13 at 11 a.m. CEST (5 a.m. EDT) and runs through Tuesday, October 20 at 5 a.m. EDT, when the toggle is removed. It's an in-game toggle — pick the classic PvPvE experience or the new PvE-only matchmaking, and switch between them whenever you like. Playing PvE won't touch your PvPvE matchmaking rating.
How it works
In PvE sessions there is zero damage between raiders — full stop. The run becomes a co-op fight against the ARC machines. Solos, duos, and trios all share the same sessions, so you can run solo and still extract alongside a friendly trio. Embark designed the switch to be seamless: run a relaxed solo PvE raid, then jump straight back into a high-tension PvPvE match.
What's left out — and the loot catch
Not everything made the cut. Night Raids, the Hidden Bunker, the Locked Gate, and the Frigate are all excluded from the test — those encounters are built around the uncertainty of running into other players. Loot value is also reduced in PvE sessions to compensate for the relative safety, while PvPvE sessions get a slightly higher baseline during the test week.
Why Embark is doing this
Embark published the player data behind the decision. The split: 37% friendly co-op players, 27% mixed, and 34% pure PvP — and the friendly group has grown consistently since launch. More than 70% of friendly players and 40% of pure PvP players said they wanted fewer hostile encounters, and 51% of surveyed players expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option.
The honest caveat: Embark stresses the test does not guarantee a permanent mode. The toggle disappears when the test ends, and the decision comes down to the stats and player feedback from this week.
One catch for free players
The Frozen Trail free trial ended Monday morning — 08:00 UTC (4 a.m. EDT) — so the test is owners-only. The good news: the game is 50% off until October 15, down to $19.99, the deepest discount it's ever had. If you tried the free weekend and want to keep raiding without the PvP, that's the cheapest ticket in.
Downed, not dead
One detail worth knowing: if the ARC machines drop you, stay still. Downed players can crawl, but moving targets can get re-acquired; hold still and the machines lose you. It's Embark's way of keeping some tension in a PvP-free run.
KongMNG's take
This is Embark reading its own data out loud. Half the player base wants fewer hostile encounters — including 40% of the hardcore PvP crowd — and the friendly group keeps growing. The exclusions tell the real story: Embark isn't gutting the core game, it's fencing off a co-op lane for the players the extraction genre has always scared off. If participation is strong this week, the permanent mode is all but locked. Watch the feedback threads after the weekend.