ARC Raiders is off to a flying start. The new sci-fi extraction shooter from Embark Studios has surpassed 700,000 concurrent players across all platforms during its launch weekend, setting a new milestone for the studio and cementing its status as one of 2025’s biggest multiplayer hits.
Released on October 30, 2025, ARC Raiders quickly climbed the Steam charts, reaching a peak of over 462,000 simultaneous players on PC alone. The game’s mix of intense third-person combat, cooperative missions, and player-versus-player encounters has captured global attention, drawing comparisons to Helldivers 2 and Battlefield 2042 — both of which it briefly overtook in concurrent player numbers.
In an official blog post, Embark Studios thanked players for their overwhelming response, calling the debut “incredible.”
“It’s been just over a week since launch, and this past weekend we reached over 700,000 concurrent Raiders on the surface,” the team wrote. “You surprise us, you outsmart us, and you keep us on our toes.”
The developer, composed of several former DICE veterans, has been transparent about both the game’s early challenges and its rapid growth. Despite some launch-day matchmaking issues, ARC Raiders maintained strong player retention throughout the weekend, supported by quick server updates and an active community response.
The game’s success also underscores a growing appetite for the extraction shooter genre, which blends survival mechanics with competitive team play. Titles like The Finals and Escape from Tarkov have paved the way, but ARC Raiders has quickly positioned itself as a fresh contender thanks to its cinematic visuals, sci-fi world, and high-stakes scavenging missions.
Embark has already teased upcoming content, including new maps, enemy types, and balance updates. If the momentum continues, ARC Raiders could become one of the defining live-service shooters of the year and a major win for Nexon-owned Embark Studios.
For a new IP to reach these numbers in its opening week is extraordinary and it suggests that ARC Raiders is not just a surprise hit, but the start of a new multiplayer phenomenon.
Dibyasorup Das