ARC Raiders Ditches Free-To-Play Format, Launches Next Year

The PvPvE third-person shooter ARC Raiders finally has a launch window, with developer Embark Studios hoping to release it at some point in 2025, with Steam playtesting starting this Fall. Furthermore, it was revealed that the game will no longer be free-to-play, releasing as a paid experience instead.

ARC Raiders was first revealed during The Game Awards in 2021. The game has been highly anticipated due to its intriguing world-building. In the game, players are forced to scavenge and hunt as they try to make a living in the Esperanza colony. This colony is where humanity was forced to live underground after Earth's surface was obliterated bsteamy a mechanized menace known as ARC.

As a raider, you will face the dangers of ARC and also encounter other scavengers. This will require you and your crew to make decisions that range from diplomatic trade of goods to engaging in good old-fashioned shootouts to secure resources.

If this premise suits your fancy, you'll be happy to hear that Embark Studios will roll out a Public Tech Test on Steam between October 24 and 27. You can sign up for Playtesting on the official ARC Raiders Steam store page to get a chance to be selected at random.

Finally, as mentioned, ARC Raiders will no longer be a free-to-play title, switching to a paid model instead. The game will launch with a $40 price tag with Embark Studios explaining their decision in a quick blog post, stating that this was a more suited business model for the game.

On top of Steam, ARC Raiders will be available on PC via the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on cloud streaming via Nvidia GeForce Now.