Huh, Arc Raiders maps are based on real places, Spaceport is apparently Tenerife

Embark Studios built Arc Raiders maps from real-world data and on-site photography, and CEO Patrick Söderlund told GamesBeat that the game’s Spaceport map was modeled on Tenerife. Söderlund said the studio pulls satellite topography from Google Maps, layers scanned elevation data, and then adds photos and field references to shape the final level.

Maps in Arc Raiders are large and mix outdoor and indoor spaces, so Embark treats map design as an iterative, playtest-heavy process. Söderlund said the studio spent roughly six months refining one map’s first full playtest iteration, adding that “the real work is actually making sure the map plays well. Testing everything, where to put things where they spawn” and balancing both combat and traversal across vast environments.

On the mapping workflow he was blunt: “All maps are based on real-world, satellite topography data using Google Maps, and then they’re taken from places that exist in the world,” and then added that the team visited locations, photographed rocks and formations, and used those images on top of scanned data.

The approach helps explain why Arc Raiders’ maps feel visually grounded while still supporting the game’s extraction-adventure loop. Embark’s worldbuilding and map design were flagged as part of why the game retained players after launch; our explainer on how Arc Raiders differs from other extraction-based shooters looks at those systems in more detail.

Söderlund also reiterated how the game’s matchmaking tries to group players by playstyle, which the studio calls aggression-based matchmaking. He described it as a way to match PvE-focused players with similar players while grouping more PvP-minded users together.

And a quick operational note tied to the maps: Embark recently patched a Stella Montis zipline exploit and adjusted patch cadence as the team moves off weekly updates; those fixes are listed in the studio’s Steam post and summarized in our patch coverage here.

The GamesBeat interview with Söderlund is the clearest public look yet at how Embark turns satellite data and field photography into playable levels; players who enjoy Arc Raiders’ locations now know many of them started as real places.

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