ARC Raiders update blocks weapons from “bending the rules” too much

I’m waking up in cold sweats thinking about ARC Raiders. Okay, I’m not, but the wait for Embark Studios’ extraction shooter feels brutal to me. Although The Finals developer is hunkering down on putting the final touches on the game ahead of its October launch, we finally have a fresh update on its progress. This time, it’s all about weapons, and yes, Embark knows you love the Anvil a lot.

Speaking to the ARC Raiders community on Discord, community lead Dusty Gustafsson shares a statement from combat designer ‘SprinkleMountain’. Following Tech Test 2, work to balance guns and combat flow is taking precedence. “A few weapons and gadgets were bending the rules in ways that didn’t align with our design intent, either by making fights too quick, too one-sided, or just not giving players the time or tools to respond,” the developer clarifies.

Across my ARC Raiders preview and sessions until the playtest’s end, defending from the hellfire of SMGs such as the Bobcat and Stitcher wasn’t too much of a challenge. However, if the game’s RNG left you in a bad spot, then these weapons could drain your health in an instant. Health is already precious enough, given its tense PVP framework.

SprinkleMountain says that, in regards to rules, they mean “our combat pillars, the guiding principles that shape how ARC Raiders should feel when you engage with man or machine while topside.”

Going forward, the game’s action places a deeper focus on the versatility of your loadout. Having the ideal gear is essential anyway, but Embark believes it can take this to another level. “Your loadout should influence how you move through the world, which fights you take, and how you win them. Even though the Anvil is a personal favorite of mine, it was performing a bit too well at long ranges to the point where it started cannibalizing our rifles,” they add.

ARC Raiders classifies the Anvil as a Hand Cannon, and it meets that moniker. Getting popped by this is gutting, but incredibly rewarding when you land a shot back. I’m cautious about this getting nerfed, but it does mean that other weapons have a chance to shine when the ARC Raiders release date arrives. The real outlier will be how players can mitigate incoming damage, and Embark is planning to tweak this too: “The Heavy Shields were way too strong, and shield swapping was way too efficient.”

So, with the game’s weaponry getting some tweaks, why not let us test it out, Embark? Another ARC Raiders beta would be great, please.

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