ARC Raiders PvE Toggle: Everything Confirmed for the October Test

Embark Studios confirmed on September 24 that ARC Raiders is getting a PvE-only matchmaking option, at least for a limited window. From October 13-20, a new toggle will let Raiders queue into sessions with zero player-to-player damage, stripping out the PvPvE threat that has defined the extraction shooter since it launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S last October. Here is exactly what changes, what stays the same, and why Embark is calling this a test rather than a permanent feature.

01What Embark Announced

The announcement, posted to the official ARC Raiders news page, outlines a one-week beta running October 13 through October 20. During that window, players can freely switch between the standard PvPvE mode and a new PvE option built around "co-op social dynamics" instead of the tension of running into rival Raiders. Solos, Duos, and Trios will all be pooled into the same PvE matchmaking, so a lone Raider could end up sharing a session with a full trio, just without the risk of getting shot by them.

02How the PvE Toggle Works

Switching modes is meant to be seamless: pick PvE from the mode select before a raid and you drop into a session where other Raiders cannot deal you damage. ARC's machines are still very much active, and Embark has been explicit that downed players are not entirely safe from them either. ARCs can still re-target and damage a downed Raider if that Raider is moving to self-revive, though they will ignore anyone who stays still. That detail matters if you have leaned on other players for cover during extractions in the past, since the AI threat is the whole point of the test.

03What's Excluded From the Test

Not every corner of the map is included. Major Conditions, Night Raids, the Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, and Frigate encounters are all unavailable while PvE is active, since Embark built those specifically around the unpredictability of running into other Raiders. If your usual loop revolves around any of those, you will need to switch back to PvPvE to access them during the test period, which is exactly why the toggle is designed to switch on the fly rather than lock you into one mode for a whole session.

04Loot and Matchmaking Impact

Embark is adjusting the economy so PvE does not become the obviously safer, more profitable choice. Overall loot values are lowered in PvE sessions to offset the reduced risk, while PvPvE runs get a slightly higher baseline loot value to compensate players who keep taking on the extra danger. Progress and results from PvE matches will not affect your PvPvE matchmaking rating, so testing the new mode will not skew your skill rating in normal play. Embark also flagged that queue times could rise slightly in lower-population regions or off-peak hours if a large share of the player base shifts into PvE, and said it will monitor both queues and PvPvE match quality throughout the week.

05Why Embark Is Testing This Now

Embark has framed the toggle as a direct response to player feedback rather than a change in the game's identity. ARC Raiders built its reputation on the tension of never knowing whether a Raider you see topside is friend or threat, and that design has divided the community since launch: some players thrive on the risk, while others say the constant threat of getting third-partied mid-extraction keeps them from playing at all. Rather than pick a side, Embark is running a controlled test to see how many players actually want the PvE option and what it does to the wider PvPvE population once it is available. In the post, Executive Producer Aleks was careful to set expectations for what the test does and does not mean for ARC Raiders going forward.

“It's possible that this will not work. This test is not a promise that there will be a PvE mode in the future, but take this as an indication that we are seriously considering it.”Aleks, Executive Producer, ARC Raiders

That caveat matters: Embark is treating this purely as a data-gathering exercise, and has said any future version of a PvE option, if one happens at all, could look very different from what ships in the October beta. Nothing here confirms a permanent split between PvE and PvPvE modes.

06What to Watch For Next

The PvE test lands five days after Frozen Trail, the next content update, which adds a new map, three ARC enemy types, and two weapons when it goes live on October 8. Raiders can preview those additions in Embark's own Frozen Trail first-look post ahead of launch. Embark says it will publish findings and next steps once the PvE test wraps on October 20, so treat the toggle as a one-week experiment for now rather than a mode that is here to stay.