Latest news with #EmbarkStudios
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘ARC Raiders' Gets A Promising, Imminent Release Date Update
ARC Raiders Players recently fought and stealthed their way from the ARC Raiders Closed Alpha, and almost everyone had a similar thought: This game seems ready for release. That's not usually the case with an Alpha, and while there were certainly balance issues, it felt like a complete game perhaps minus a few things that were being held in the test. But it didn't even look like it needed say, visual polish. There may be a reason for that, and some players believe they've found the actual release date for ARC Raiders, which may be imminent. A post-Alpha update was added to the game and for ten minutes, players dug around to find that through the .exe file it led to a 'tick counter' link which ended on June 6. In what seems like an unlikely coincidence, Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest show begins on, you guessed it, June 6. You will also never guess when Embark's last game, The Finals, debuted. That was at The Game Awards 2023, where it was instantly playable when it was shown off. A 'shadow drop.' The one difference was that there was an actual open beta for The Finals a month before The Game Awards, where there has not been anything like that here. But: 1) The game feeling ready to release 2) This dug-up date being the day Summer Games Fest starts 3) Embark shadow-dropping The Finals at a different Keighley event I mean, that all points to the idea that this June 6 date, just under two weeks from now, may in fact pan out. Arc Raiders ARC Raiders was viewed as a solid new entry in the extraction shooter genre during its last Closed Alpha, with its playercount increasing each day during the test. It also had the benefit of running the test at the same time as rival extraction shooter Marathon, the upcoming Bungie game and most players would say it compared very favorably. Marathon was more unfinished in what felt like a true Alpha test ahead of an alleged September 23 release date. Bungie just stumbled into a controversy when it was revealed that stolen art assets have been used in the game. ARC Raiders has had no such controversy and it would simply not be surprising if it dropped at Summer Games Fest. One issue with shadow drops, however, is that everyone is suddenly rushing to play all at once, creating server or login issues, which is exactly what happened with The Finals. But hopefully they're preparing for that. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How to invite your friends to ARC Raiders Playtest fast & easy?
Image via Embark Studios So, you've jumped into the ARC Raiders Playtest and you're loving it — but let's be real, games like this are way more fun with friends. The good news? You can bring your squad in. The even better news? It's super simple — once you unlock the invite feature. Here's everything you need to know to get your friends into the action before the playtest window closes. ARC Raiders Tech Test 2 - All The Details You Need Step 1: Get Playtest Access for Yourself First things first—you need to be in the ARC Raiders Tech Test 2. If you haven't joined yet, head to Steam and request access. Once approved, download the game and jump in. You can't invite friends unless you're already a playtester. Step 2: Play a Bit (Yes, You Have to Earn It) Before that "Invite Frinds" button shows up, you'll need to: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Serbia (Take A Look At The Prices) Container House Search Now Undo Play 4 rounds Spend at least 30 minutes in active gameplay Just sitting in the menu doesn't count—get in and play! Whether you win, lose, or barely survive, each round helps you unlock the invite feature. You don't need to do anything fancy—just get through those matches. Arc Raiders - Tech TEST Starter GUIDE | Sign-ups, MAPS, Traders & MORE! Step 3: Unlock & Send Your Invites Done with the 4 rounds and 30 minutes? You'll now see the "Invite Friends" option on the main menu (bottom left corner). Here's how to send invites: Click 'Invite Friends' A window will pop up with: A QR code (for mobile) An 'Open in Browser' button Open the link—it'll take you to your personal invite page Copy your unique referral link Send it to your friends (you get 2 invites total) That's it. Your friends will now be able to join the playtest—assuming they're eligible and platforms are available. Things to Keep in Mind Now that your friends have the link, here's what they need to know: Invites are limited to 2 friends per player The invite works only if they're 16+ years old Access isn't instant — platforms (like PS5 or Xbox) might take a while to open up due to high demand They should redeem the code ASAP before slots run out Sharing or selling the link = Instant disqualification. And yeah, make sure your friends redeem the invite quickly—spots can fill up fast during the test phase. Inviting friends to ARC Raiders Playtest isn't complicated. Once your friends redeem the invite and install the game, you can finally squad up and tackle ARC Raiders together. Play a bit, unlock the invite, send it over, and wait for your squad to drop in. Just don't wait too long — the playtest closes on May 4 .
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Finals Season 6 mid-season update introduces new content and features: Limited-time event, new weapon and map, Twitch drops, and more
The Finals Season 6 mid-season update (Image via Embark Studios) Embark Studios just released a massive The Finals Season 6 mid-season update , featuring a ton of new content, balance changes, QoL improvements, and more. This update focuses on the new limited-time event called the Close Quarters Event , featuring a new map. Players will be thrown into a tightly spaced arena where they will battle in a Team Deathmatch. Furthermore, after months of waiting, the Stun Gun is finally coming back after being reworked. This article will list everything new in The Finals Season 6 mid-season update, including details on the new event, balance changes, bug fixes, and more. For more information on the patch notes and weapon balance changes, read The Finals Season 6 mid-season update patch notes: All balance changes and bug fixes. The Finals Season 6 Mid-Season update: New content and features New limited-time CLOSE QUARTERS EVENT features a new map THE FINALS | The Close Quarters Event Time to get up close and personal with our brand new limited-time event that comes with a whole new map to explore (and destroy)! Welcome to the ALFA ACTA P.E.A.C.E. (Prototype Evaluation And Combat Experimentation) Center! Junior McJohnson welcomes you to this high-pressure environment nestled deep in the [LOCATION REDACTED] woods. Here, you'll be testing out fast fights in tight spaces where every move counts. Partake in a brutal Team Deathmatch where danger lurks around every corner! The P.E.A.C.E. Center is live for a limited time, so step in and leave your mark! SPIN THE WHEEL OF TRUST As if an invitation to The P.E.A.C.E. Center isn't reward enough, ALFA ACTA has also spun up 20 potential prizes on the Wheel of Trust! During the event, hand in Daily contracts for tickets and spin to unlock something new. If you trust your luck, you might even take home BULL'S EYE BARRY, the latest and greatest smart-dummy. The festivities await! Stun Gun comes back under a new name, THE NULLIFIER The prodigal Stun Gun returns to the loadout screen with a brand new name and totally re-worked functionality! It's time to meet The Nullifier! In this newly revamped version, Contestants caught in the line of fire will be nullified, unable to take or deal damage, use items, or interact for the duration for the effect. Nullified players will still be able to move freely, so there's time to make a getaway. Equip it now and start increasing the odds by nullifying the competition! NEW TWITCH DROPS The Finals Season 6.5 Twitch Drops (Image via Embark Studios) To further celebrate, let's bring in more Twitch Drops ! Head on over to Twitch, watch your favorite streamer, and earn the four new Drops in dazzling blue! Practical, fashionable, and including an item from our latest breakout category: Nails! You may also remember us asking what weapons would be cool to pick for the next round of Twitch drops. Time for you to pick up those Sledgehammer, AKM, and XP-54 skins! So make sure to nab your Broadcase Blaze items on Twitch as soon as the Drops go live! Claw your way to victory and trim down the competition. Body Paint Category expanded We've taken the Body Paint Category and broken it down into four parts: Face paint - Anything that goes on the face Body paint - Anything that goes on the body, or full body Nails - Nail polish! Tattoos - You can now wear tattoos beneath any paint! This means you can now mix-and-match four different parts of your body-deco at once, many of which were previously merged into one! If you already own any of the old Body Paints, you'll find that your items have been separated into new separate items in these categories and are waiting for your next Outfit creation! SOCIAL Improvements It's time to grow your crew! Clubs have increased in membership so you can now invite up to 100 Contestants to take on the Arena together! You'll also find multi-channel chat is active, so you can chat with your party, your team, a whole private lobby, and your club while you play! We've also beefed up the social settings, adding chat and voice under Social, and providing options to control Background Opacity, Text Size, Turn Channel Icons off and on, and the ability to hide the Club Chat in-game. You'll notice changes to the main menu, as well! You'll be able to see your progress for Battlepass, Career, Sponsorship, Circuits, and Contracts at a glance right alongside your Contestant! You'll also notice improved updates when returning to the screen from a match. You'll always find some improvements to the social features you already know and love. PRACTICE RANGE improvements It can get lonely in the Practice Range, even with the smart dummies for company. Now you can party up and enter with two to five friends by your side. Goof around, test things out, and cause mayhem as a team! The dummies have been looking increasingly nervous on the leadup to this update… Old Las Vegas comes back into rotation We know you've been missing old Vegas so we're putting it back into rotation! Get ready for the glitz and glam of the hot lights in Quick Cash, Terminal Attack, and Ranked Tournament as you play Las Vegas 2032 ! New carriables We're also introducing a new Carriable to toss around the Arena that will feel familiar to those of you who have been here a while: The Healing Canister! Toss it to provide temporary healing to an area of effect. Throwing things at your Team has never been more rewarding! New cosmetics and bundles There's new items in the store, including a f ree Idle Inspection bundle to kick off your new Nail Polish collection: THE FINALS | Trail Threat Set And finally, a new bundle with Multibucks included that some PlayStation players may have gotten an accidental sneak preview of yesterday! Check out the Z ero-G Menace Set : THE FINALS | Zero-G Menace Set That's everything new in The Finals Season 6 mid-season update. For more information on the patch notes and balance changes, read The Finals Season 6 mid-season update patch notes: All balance changes and bug fixes.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Finals Season 6 mid-season update patch notes: All balance changes and bug fixes
The Finals Season 6 mid-season update balance changes (Image via Embark Studios) The Finals Season 6 mid-season update patch notes introduce a ton of new content and balance changes. While the main focus is on the new limited-time Close Quarters event, the balance changes cannot be ignored as they significantly alter the experience of the game. The Stun Gun is finally coming back after a rework under a new name called The Nullifier . Furthermore, the original Las Vegas map is coming into rotation in the map pools. This article will brief you on the balance changes in The Finals Season 6 mid-season update patch notes, including changes to maps and other bug fixes. For more details on the new content and features like the new Close Quarters event, read The Finals Season 6 mid-season update introduces new content and features: Limited-time event, new weapon and map, Twitch drops, and more . The Finals Season 6.5 Balance Changes THE FINALS | The Close Quarters Event Arena Carriables All Carriables Increased the launch force of carriables by 10%, making them easier to throw at targets Increased the pick-up range of carriables from 6m to 6.5m, making them slightly easier to pick-up Decorative Carriables (e.g. plant pots, chairs etc) Increased the impact damage done for medium carriables from 50 to 60 Increased the impact damage done for large carriables from 50 to 70 Healing Canister Added the new Healing Canister Arena Carriable. This blue spherical container smashes open when thrown into surfaces, spreading a healing mist that triggers health regeneration for players who stand inside its area of effect Charms 'Little Chief' Increased the 'moo rate' of the Little Chief Moolah charm from 25% to 100%, meaning it will now moo for 100% of kills Added the ability for Little Chief to moo when the attached weapon is inspected Dev Note: Based on community feedback, it has become obvious that our past nerf to Moolah was by far the worst nerf we've ever made to the balance of the game. In the spirit of trying to buff more than we nerf, we've now reverted Moolah to their previous superstar status ;) Gadgets Proximity Sensor Increased the size of the Proximity Sensor, making it easier to shoot Dev Note: This change aims to address how fiddly it has been to destroy Proximity Sensors, they should be much easier to hit now. Stun Gun/Nullifier Re-introduced the Stun Gun after a re-work, it is now known as the Nullifier Players hit by the Nullifier are put into a 'nullified' state for several seconds, during which they cannot attack or use items, but are still able to move. During this time the player is fully impervious to damage or effects from items Specializations Winch Claw Winch Claw will now force players it hooks into the 'uncontrolled' state, adjusting the victim's bullet dispersion and recoil as if they were falling from a building Dev Note: Players' ability to very accurately shoot a Winch Claw user, while being pulled is something we feel is a little too strong. This change is a subtle nudge to make fighting back while being winched slightly less viable Weapons .50 Akimbo Decreased damage falloff minimum range from 37.5m to 35m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range Decreased damage falloff max range from 47.5m to 42m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range 93R Increased damage falloff minimum range from 28m to 32m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range Increased damage falloff max range from 35m to 40m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range Decreased damage falloff multiplier from 0.55 to 0.4, meaning the weapon now does slightly less damage at range ARN-220 Decreased the length of the quick reload animation from 0.95s to 0.75s Dev Note: This is a small buff to the ARN, partially to boost its power but mostly aimed at making it feel a little less clunky. Cerberus Decreased pellet count from 12 to 11, effectively lowering the max damage per shot (minus fire damage) from 120 to 110 Updated pellet pattern to retain a similar coverage per shot, despite the removal of one pellet, meaning the weapon should retain a similar accuracy to before Dev Note: The Cerberus has been performing very well this season and we've decided we need to bring it back in line with other weapons. This small reduction in damage should help achieve that while still keeping the weapon viable. FAMAS Decreased damage falloff minimum range from 37.5m to 35m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range Decreased damage falloff max range from 47.5m to 42.5m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range M134 Minigun Dev Note: We have seen your feedback on how easy it is for players to keep the M134 'spun up' while moving, juggling the spin-up state and making it quite powerful in the right hands. This is something we're monitoring and are likely to adjust the balance of in an up-coming patch, but the changes we're considering aren't ready in time for 6.6. Model 1887 Decreased the pump-action duration from 0.8s to 0.78s, effectively increasing the fire rate from 75RPM to 77RPM Increased damage falloff minimum range from 15m to 20m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range Increased damage falloff max range from 25m to 30m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range Decreased damage falloff multiplier from 0.7 to 0.65, meaning the weapon now does slightly less damage at range Dev Note: Since our last round of changes to the Model, it has performed slightly worse than we would have expected. These changes are aimed at buffing it ever so slightly while increasing its effective range to give it a more unique feel compared to the other shotguns. We're mindful that we don't want to nudge it too far in a single change, as we'd prefer to not go back to a meta where this versatile weapon is overly effective. R .357 Increased damage falloff minimum range from 23m to 27.5m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range Increased damage falloff max range from 40m to 44m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range Decreased damage falloff multiplier from 0.45 to 0.4, meaning the weapon now does slightly less damage at range SA1216 Decreased rate of fire from 200RPM to 190RPM Decreased the length of the magazine rotation animation from 1.1s to 0.8s, effectively speeding up the weapon's fire rate when firing more than four shots Updated magazine rotation animation so it's a little easier to see Updated recoil pattern slightly, to retain approximately the same recoil behavior prior to the rate of fire reduction Dev Note: This is a small nudge to reduce the power of the SA1216, which remains one of the most effective weapons in the game. The decrease in the length of the magazine rotation animation, as well as the updated animation, are quality of life changes that hopefully improve the readability of the weapon and make it more accessible to a wider audience. The animation change also effectively increases the weapon's fire rate in scenarios where the player takes more than four shots The Finals Season 6.5 content and bug fixes THE FINALS | Trail Threat Set Animation Smoothed the animation for dropping held items when blending back to the equipped item Fixed an issue where the wrong magazine could sometimes be inserted into the ARN-220 Fixed an issue where the discarded magazine would launch forward when reloading the Lewis from empty Polished Cerberus reload and inspect animations to reduce clipping Fixed the M134 Minigun crouch pose during interactions to prevent your third person pose being lower than intended Fixed an issue where the third consecutive Spear attack animation could sometimes be skipped Reworked the animation for the Sword's secondary attack to better match the action, and fixed cases where the attack would not show on the receiving end, causing confusion about damage Fixed animations looking incorrect when crouching with the CL-40 Fixed an error where the weapon could briefly show when carrying an object and vaulting at the same time Fixed an issue where getting eliminated with fully-charged Defibs could prevent weapon inspection after respawn Fixed an issue where the Sledgehammer and Spear could block the view while vaulting by lowering the weapons instead Updated the animation for being Winched to better show the gun-ready state at the right time to reduce confusion Fixed the Riot Shield sometimes blocking the view during a high vault Fixed an issue where the Riot Shield could briefly cover the screen during weapon swaps Slightly reduced visual recoil on the M11 Holographic Sight to match the Red Dot Sight Fixed an issue where a white "mask" could appear during emotes with some faces Audio Improved audio for bots More Scotty and June dialogue to better reflect team performance in TDM Added announcer voice over when billboards light up Updated Cashout lines for Round 2 and Final Round Fixed an issue where Power Shift Overtime lines would not play Added new lines for Power Shift's Sudden Death phase Improved the audibility of single-shot weapon fly-bys, making them easier to hear when nearby Clubs Increased the maximum Club size to 100 Contracts & Circuits Resolved issues where eliminations with the Tracking Dart and Defibrillator did not count toward elimination contracts with Gadgets Customization & Cosmetics Adjusted the size of Derbies shoes when equipped on light contestants for a better fit Fixed camera being offset when entering Charms/Stickers/Sights screen while certain skins were equipped Tweaked lens material for Reflex Sight 02 to remove the yellow glow sometimes present in the shaded areas of sunny maps Expanded Character Customization by splitting Body Paint into new categories: Face Paint, Body Paint, Tattoos, and Nails. What was previously a single Body Paint item is now organized across these categories. Existing outfits have been updated, and players who already own relevant items will automatically receive the new options Fixed an issue where certain customizations could sometimes float or clip with the character when switching contestant body type prior to a game or in the Practice Range Fixed color issues with the Neon Nightslinger outfit to ensure team colors appear correctly to all players Fixed mesh stretching on the Satchel Fixed stuttering on the SR-84 Ghillie Canopy skin Fixed alignment issues between some faces and facial hair Fixed an issue where Stickers could partially cover Sponsor texts on the ARN-220 'Cash Chicane' and 'Active Deterrent' skins Fixed an issue where charms could block aim down sights on the Revolver Fixed the look of the cloth under the arms of the Canyon Carver Poncho Fixed an issue where creating new contestants could exceed the 'My Outfits' limit Game Modes Practice Range Players can now enter together with their party (up to 5 players) We are aware of an issue where Quick Melee does not always work in Practice Range. We are investigating the issue but a restart of the session should resolve it Power Shift Fixed incorrect text about extended respawn timers being shown Tutorials Replaced old target bots in existing tutorials with new ones Fixed issues where the tutorial Cashbox, Cashout Stations, or Vaults could go missing Terminal Attack We're aware of an issue in terminal Attack mode that causes player health to be able to fully regen to the maximum health value, rather than the intended capped values. We're investigating the cause of this and will deploy a fix as soon as we can TDM Tweaked backfill conditions to always allow backfill in the first round, or in later rounds with at least three minutes remaining and no team above 15 kills Fixed an issue where outfit selection changes for the second and third rounds weren't working as expected Fixed an issue where the outfit list would disappear after changing outfits in a previous round Gameplay Healing Canister Carriables can now spawn in all game modes except Terminal Attack Fixed an issue where the state of destruction could desynchronize after a reconnect or backfill Fixed various issues where Cashbox, Cashout Stations, and Respawn Statues would incorrectly trigger "out of bounds" behavior Fixed an issue where players would not receive support score for healing a revived teammate Fixed an issue that could cause horizontal Ziplines to be placed incorrectly Fixed an issue where the wrong text could appear when using a respawn coin Adjusted hitmarker size in when aiming down sights (ADS) to reduce obstruction while zooming in with the Sniper Rifle Fixed a very spooky issue where Statues would show up in the previous death location for 1 frame Resolved issues where players who died while experiencing an effect that requires team colors could sometimes default back to a neutral color Improved optimization to slightly reduce the feeling of being shot around corners Fixed an issue where the health bars of enemy players that the player had just been spectating, continued to display for a brief second after the player respawned, giving away the enemy's location in the level Fixed an issue where players could spawn with missing ammo if they click LMB during round start Fixed a rare issue where you couldn't switch the contestant you were spectating Fixed a rare issue where players could lose mouse input during a round Fixed one issue where effects, like sonar tracking, fire etc, would remain visible for far too long Dev Note: Lingering visual effects on contestants after exposure have been haunting us for a long time! We believe we've fixed the most prominent cause…but some cases remain. We'll keep chasing it and you should keep letting us know when it happens to you! Player reports have been so helpful! Maps General Las Vegas 2032 is back in the public map rotation for Quick Cash, Terminal Attack, and Ranked Tournament Dev note: We knew you were missing it. What happens in Las Vegas 2032, stays in Las Vegas 2032! Fixed sizes, aspect ratios on multiple THE FINALS logotypes and branding textures on all maps. Adjusted the health of some decor and features to better match their size and material Tweaked Billboard Highlight scoring to feature more varied events and show players more frequently, including a new event for last-second steals Fixed a bug causing destruction visuals to not appear in certain scenarios Updated the height of concrete beam piles to match other cover and fixed some that were indestructible Fortune Stadium Fixed an issue where the out-of-bounds border could cut through parts of the level in Team Deathmatch Kyoto Adjusted and removed several Cashout Station locations in the Bamboo Forest and near the Villa Compound water Carriables can now be thrown through lattice windows without fear of them bouncing back at you Las Vegas 2032 Fixes for floating signs and invisible collision Las Vegas Stadium Minor destruction tweaks to the ALFA ACTA buildings Monaco Collision cleanup of multiple Monaco assets to enhance movement, performance and traversal Fixed a minor issue where THE FINALS logo was cropped on the buildings Practice Range Added Healing Canister dispenser Seoul Re-balanced structural strain to get more refined and varied destruction Fixed a rare issue where horizontal ziplines could have incorrect exit points Skyway Stadium Fixed overlapping doors and misplaced railings in the large hotel building Private Matches & Spectator Fixed an issue where assigned spectators would end up in separated sections Added an error message for trying to create a private lobby without being the party leader Fixed an issue where controllers would lose focus when entering the private match screen Spectator screen now correctly displays performance icons Fixed an issue where lobby size could be reported incorrectly for some game modes in private matches Fixed rare issues where spectators could end up outside the map Fixed an issue where the Manage Players section would not stay consistent while moving players around Fixed gamepad navigation and interactions not working correctly in the private matches screen Premade parties are now disbanded when joining a private lobby. Settings Made the selection scroll to the top when restoring default settings for interface options Added new Text Chat settings: Background Opacity, Text Size, Toggle Channel Icons, and the ability to hide the Club Chat in-game. Chat and voice settings have been moved to the Social tab for easier access Fixed missing descriptions for several options in the Settings menu Social Text Chat now supports Party, Squad, Private Lobby, and Club channels Added timestamps in Club chat Fixed an issue where the friends list would update and reorder while interacting with it Specializations Winch Claw Fixed an issue where winched players would not be pulled through smoke Stability & Performance Fixed some of the most recurring crashes Optimized shader pipeline precompilation for CPUs with fewer cores UI Discounts are now correctly shown on outfit icons Updated the look of the Cash Out HUD Fixed an issue where a teammate's name might not display correctly after backfilling into a session Fixed an issue where the play button could get stuck in a cancel state when failing to join a private lobby Fixed an issue where images appeared stretched for a few frames in the main menu when starting the game Fixed an issue where store tiles could remain stuck in an upscaled state after being clicked Fixed a bug causing new markers to reappear unexpectedly in the Game Mode section Text and voice options now display consistent enabled/disabled states in the social menu Fixed an issue where players lost focus on the end-of-round screen, requiring a click to regain focus Added a 'Mark All as Seen' button to quickly clear new labels from Game Mode screens Added mute and unmute messages to the log Fixed seeding display for your own team in tournament brackets Fixed an issue where store tiles sometimes showed a white background instead of their content Fixed an issue where discounts were not shown correctly on gifting buttons Fixed various frontend tabs that could incorrectly be moved using the mouse The Friends list in the gifting screen now shows online friends at the top. Friends who already own the item are grouped at the bottom but still listed above offline friends who own it Fixed matchmaking notification showing the wrong game mode name to teammates after picking a new mode Rich Presence timer now shows the full match duration instead of just the current round Fixed an issue where contestant icons sometimes failed to load quickly enough Added progression info and hotlinks for Battlepass, Career, Sponsorship, Circuits, and Contracts, along with updated visuals when returning from a match Weapons Spear Fixed a rare case where the spin attack would not damage nearby enemy contestants Sword Fixed an issue that made it possible to perform an unintended extra strike with the Sword during a secondary attack, this is more commonly known as 'phantom strikes' For more information on The Finals Season 6.5 new content and features, read The Finals Season 6 mid-season update introduces new content and features: Limited-time event, new weapon and map, Twitch drops, and more .
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Arc Raiders plays like a serviceable extraction shooter still in search of its own unique identity
Surviving against menacing machines in the dilapidated world of Arc Raiders can be endlessly fun in the moment, even if the game might struggle to set itself apart from the competition. Arc Raiders makes surviving and extracting an increasingly tense affair. But there's a lot of work to do to make it appealing to the multiplayer masses. The PvP multiplayer shooter space is crowded right now. Fortnite continues to dominate, leaving others like Apex Legends and Destiny 2 to fend over its scraps, while any new, budding live-service title merely hopes to avoid the same result as Sony 's ill-fated Concord by carving out its own niche. Unfortunately for developer Embark Studios, Arc Raiders is a sci-fi extraction shooter that falls into the latter camp, starting from scratch by setting players off in a desolate world full of rival players and enemy robot NPCs and tasking them to survive. Fortunately for Embark Studios, though, it seems like it's leveraging the experience gained by working on The Finals to hopefully make it a success, even if Arc Raiders feels a tad light on variety judging by the three hours I recently played. Before I delve into my impressions it's worth noting that the server on which I played Arc Raiders was closed-off and kept exclusively for press, causing maps to probably not be as populated as intended – despite Embark Studios' best efforts. This meant when initially playing Arc Raiders as a solo player the act of shooting, exploring, and surviving felt especially sporadic, with very little to do on these giant open maps outside of plundering and extracting. Whether it was running across the edges of a crumbling dam or investigating an abandoned spaceport, doing all this certainly looked beautiful. But at first, I was worried that the rather basic loop Arc Raiders sets you on was almost too repetitive. Fortunately, things picked up when setting off in a squad of three later in my demo session, where for a good hour me and others quickly got to work engaging in shootouts, covering each other when trying to complete different objectives on the map, and just generally trying to avoid the gaze of the titular Arc enemies. The point is obviously is to raid them for the best components needed for making better gear – its right in the title, after all – but aside from a few, smaller model types, Arc Raiders has done a good job in making the act of taking down these cybernetic baddies feel like a real mammoth task. As it stands, they can attack from all angles, and rarely did my team stand a chance at defeating them using the standard weapons we could craft prior to jumping into a session. Knowing that these various types of Arc machines from rolling flame-spewing balls to giant arachnid-like tanks – are forever roaming the lands makes traversing them always especially tense, and does well to break up general the bullet vs bullet action that occurs when enemy players turn the corner. My only real problem with the Arc machines as they stand is purely the design of them. Because while metallic robots are intimidating to fight whether they're flying or hulking across the dunes, I couldn't help but feel I'd seen similar enemies before in the likes of, say, The Terminator. Rise of the machines Luckily, between bouts, I was pleased to see that Embark Studios has cut out much of the noise by making your main hub of Speranza a series of menus as opposed to its own mini open-world city. While likely disappointing to some multiplayer fans who like getting deeply invested in lore (and there's a lot of it here), I preferred the approach since it made taking on challenges, speaking to traders, and then crafting better materials quick and easy. From what I could tell, getting better gear means either crafting them using components and then improving them, or gradually upgrading to better crafting tables themselves, which appears to be a more taxing yet worthwhile affair. All the usual extraction shooter hallmarks are present and accounted for, then, which leaves the main obstacle facing Arc Raiders right now being to carve out its own identity. Sadly, this is where the game is more of a mixed bag. Because while firefights with real-life players and robot NPCs are appropriately frantic, and the pull to plunder components to then gain better gear is certainly there, I fear that four maps at launch, however diverse, won't do enough to keep the typical Arc Raiders loop all that interesting as you gradually learn the best and worst places to loot. I'm happy to be proven wrong, but it all comes down to how the pace of play feels when the servers are fully populated and the perks of completing your objectives can be fully felt. Another barrier Arc Raiders will be challenged to break through doesn't even have anything to do with the actual game itself. Having first been revealed as a free-to-play title way back at the end of 2021, Embark Studios has since made the decision to make this a paid-for title, no doubt hoping to piggyback off the back of other recent premiere multiplayer-driven success stories such as Helldivers 2 and seemingly the upcoming Rematch. While I'm definitely in support of this strategy since it most certainly ensures Arc Raiders will feel like a complete package at launch, it'll only pan out if prospective players see the value in the extraction experience the game provides from afar, and currently Arc Raiders plays it a lot straighter than the bug-crushing satire of Arrowhead Studios' game. Arc Raiders' position as a perfectly okay PvPvE shooter is more frustrating than it is fruitful. Sure enough, I enjoyed my time raiding and plundering alongside a group of allies, but I'm not sure if the core gameplay loop has the variety required to keep me coming back for more. The good news is Embark Studios has a great track record for supporting a live-service game, and I've no doubt that following its release there'll be plenty of limited-time events and new content to enjoy. The question is whether fending off Arc machines and rival squads is enough to encourage players to stick around long enough to see those times come.
