ARC Raiders from Embark Studios has quietly done something few shooters manage: it kept hundreds of thousands of monthly players after launch while also trying on a new label for the genre it lives in. Rather than lean fully into the familiar “extraction shooter” tag, Embark describes ARC Raiders as an extraction adventure, a blend of extraction loops and adventure-style worldbuilding that ropes in RPG elements, persistent progression, and a story the developer plans to expand over time.
How that differs from the extraction crowd
Most games that sit near ARC Raiders on storefronts and in marketing copy call themselves extraction shooters or extraction FPS titles. Examples include:
- Escape from Tarkov – Extraction FPS
- Arena Breakout: Infinite – Extraction Shooter
- Incursion: Red River – First-Person Extraction Shooter
- Zero Sievert – Extraction Shooter
- Gray Zone Warfare – Extraction Shooter
ARC Raiders intentionally stretches that frame. It layers persistent character paths, a broader narrative spine across multiple biomes, and social systems that make each run feel less like a single match and more like a chapter in a longer campaign. That combination is what Embark uses to justify the extraction adventure label. The difference matters for how players approach the game. Where many extraction titles emphasize tight loot loops and hardcore risk-reward, ARC Raiders spends time on environmental storytelling and recurring progression that nudges players toward exploration and repeatable, evolving objectives.
Readers who want a closer look at why ARC Raiders works for players who aren’t strictly into extraction shooters can read our earlier piece explaining why you should try ARC Raiders, which covers the mix of PvE threats, stash progression, and optional wipes that make its loop feel different. Whether the industry adopts a new label or keeps the old one, Embark Studios has clearly built a game that refuses to sit neatly in one box, and that decision is reflected both in how the studio talks about ARC Raiders and in how players keep coming back.
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ARC Raiders
Developed by Embark Studios
