Tarkov’s Nikita Buyanov Shrugs Off ARC Raiders as a Game for Casual Players
In a GamesBeat interview, Buyanov said he wants the harsher, more demanding experience Tarkov is known for, not ARC Raiders' more accessible style.
Nikita Buyanov, the head of Battlestate Games and Rant Gaming Studios, used a recent interview with GamesBeat to talk about Fragmentary Order, his new game that is being built separately from Escape from Tarkov. The conversation also turned to ARC Raiders, and Buyanov made it clear he does not see that game as a model for what he wants to make next.
When asked whether ARC Raiders had influenced him, Buyanov called it “an extraction shooter for casual people” and said that was not what his team wanted. He added that the goal is to deliver “the most painful, most challenging, and most rewarding experience.”
The exchange did not stop there. When the interviewer pressed him on whether he did not want friendly players in his games, Buyanov said Tarkov and future projects are built around simulating reality, with more to do than pure combat. He pointed to dynamic events in a location, survival, and even the possibility of working with others to find shelter.
That stance fits the long-running identity of Escape from Tarkov, which has built its reputation on high tension and harsh losses rather than broad accessibility. ARC Raiders, by contrast, has leaned into a more approachable style since its launch in October 2025, something Buyanov seemed happy to separate his own work from.
Buyanov also discussed Fragmentary Order more broadly in the interview, including what the project is and how it relates to Tarkov. The game was revealed earlier this month with a new trailer and backstory details, but Buyanov has not yet confirmed whether it is tied to Escape from Tarkov.
If you’ve got thoughts on Buyanov’s take, share them in the comments and let us know where you land on the ARC Raiders debate. You can also join us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
ARC Raiders
Developed by Embark Studios
ARC Raiders is a multiplayer, extraction adventure, set in a lethal future earth, ravaged by a mysterious mechanized threat known as ARC.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2025-10-30
- Publisher: Embark Studios
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Age Rating:
ESRB T / PEGI 16 / GRAC 15+ / USK 18 / CLASS_IND 14 / ACB M
- IGDB Rating: 89.7/100
