ARC Raiders - What We Know So Far

There was no shortage of exciting moments at the Dec. 2021 Game Awards, and that includes the announcement of the upcoming title "ARC Raiders." Described on its official site as "a free-to-play cooperative third-person shooter," "ARC Raiders" seems fit to please fans of both fast-paced combat and sci-fi. The trailer from the game awards was a generous length with nearly three minutes of both plot and gameplay content. Even as the game is just being revealed to the public, there are plenty of details to unpack about it already.

The main mission of "ARC Raiders" is hidden in its name. In this game, players will take on the role of Raider and team up with a squad to take down ARC, AKA "a ruthless mechanized threat descending from space." The game is slated to be published by stalwart studio Nexon and developed by the connected team at Embark Studios, which has its host of successful gaming businesspeople focusing all their resources on "ARC Raiders."

There's a lot to learn about "ARC Raiders," and it might not be long until players are diving right into the promising new title.

As revealed at the end of the "ARC Raiders" trailer from the Dec. 2021 Game Awards, the game is going to be out sometime in 2022. Unless delays change things, that means players can get their hands on "ARC Raiders" within a year of its announcement. Judging by the sophisticated quality of content shared in the trailer as well as that on the game site, "ARC Raiders" was announced after quite a bit of polishing.

The trailer also revealed the consoles that "ARC Raiders" will be available on. Though it's always possible more consoles could be added, as of now the game will launch for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. There's no word yet on crossplay or whether or not each console will offer its own experience, though these considerations will be important details for players to eventually learn. Given the absence of PS4 and Xbox One inclusion, it's possible "ARC Raiders" could make use of next-gen console features. Based on the trailer, gameplay is going to be quite dynamic.

The only trailer out so far for "ARC Raiders" is a two-in-one reveal and gameplay preview. The dramatic opening ten seconds are in the style of a glitchy TV screen with footage of a radar and explosive battle scenes spliced together until a protagonist with an astronaut-style helmet appears briefly. The plot kicks off with narration atop grandiose wilderness footage, as an unseen voice warns that "there is no way to hide" from "killing machines falling from the sky."

Armed characters navigate artfully rendered nature and city scenes as until the character from the beginning is shown leaning back in her chair in what must be a war room. As the narrator explains, "We will not die in the shadows. We will face our fears head-on." The camera zooms up on the protagonist monitoring an attack via radar, until a cut to black.

Calum Scott's cover of "Dancing On My Own" unexpectedly cues up for a total mood change as gameplay footage takes center stage. Soldiers shoot down aircrafts and dodge bullets to the upbeat jams. Night combat with fiery bombs falling from the sky follows.

There's another cut to black as a voice comes on to announce "confirmed impact...Baron is on the ground." Seen through distorted TV-style edited footage, a giant, multi-legged mechanical creature gives the shooters quite the challenge. There's another cut to the radar as it confirms an enemy touchdown that ends up being an absolutely massive robot. A voiceover calls for volunteers to "Enlist. Resist." Finally, the title is revealed along with the release window in an epic and comprehensive trailer.

For some clues about what to expect from "ARC Raiders," gamers can glean some insight from a look at the developer's history. Embark Studios is the Stockholm-based team behind "ARC Raiders," which will be the company's first game since it was founded in Nov. 2018. With a focus on innovation, Embark "welcome[s] technologies that remove obstacles and help us to tap into our true creativity." Interested in the "unpredictable and exciting," the studio was co-founded by six accomplished gaming professionals who want to see games "become more captivating and more diverse."

While all the Embark founders have found success, a few of their accomplishments will particularly ring a bell with gamers. Rob Runesson is known for his art direction work on both "Battlefield 1943" and "Midtown Madness 3." Also a "Battlefield" veteran, Jenny Huldschiner has done key marketing and communications work for over a dozen titles from the series, plus similar work for titles including "Need for Speed" and "A Way Out." Unsurprisingly, the other Embark founders, Magnus Nordin, Stefan Strandberg, Patrick Söderlund, and Johan Andersson, also cut their teeth working on "Battlefield." Given the continued success of the shooter, it seems plausible that "ARC Raiders" could have some similarities, both in terms of gameplay and popularity.

Embark Studios offers playtests from time to time, which could also give "ARC Raiders" hopefuls a taste of the upcoming title ahead of its release. Until then, fans can sign up for updates on the "ARC Raiders" website and look forward to trying the game out sometime in 2022.