Arc Raiders might be closer to a comeback than many expected. Players recently noticed a Steam update that briefly appeared, revealing an executable file containing a hidden countdown. This countdown points to June 6 at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT, which matches the start of the Summer Game Fest event in Los Angeles. Could this mean the game’s next big moment is just weeks away?
The update was only live for about nine minutes, but eagle-eyed fans managed to open the .exe file and decode a Base64 string. That string is linked to a countdown website ticking down to the Summer Game Fest kickoff. It’s a neat little clue that the developers might be planning to reveal something important during the event.
A Steam update for the game, lasting 9 minutes yesterday, added a new .EXE file. When opened, it displays a window with Base64 strings. One decoded string links to a countdown website (https://t.co/iS0BzYdBYQ), ending June 6, 2025, at 11 PM, coinciding with Summer Game Fest,… pic.twitter.com/HKYaX3WKfJ
— ARC News (@ARCRaidersNews) May 22, 2025
Arc Raiders comes from the same studio behind The Finals and recently held a playtest in early May. According to publisher Nexon, the playtest “significantly exceeded our expectations for key metrics, including wishlisting on Steam.” Since the playtest ended on May 5, fans have eagerly awaited news about when they can jump back in.
If the countdown is legit, the next playtest or a release date announcement is just around the corner. The timing with Summer Game Fest makes sense, as many developers use the event to share significant updates.
