Some Arc Raiders users believe that a major skill gap is forming between players, and it’s becoming a problem. According to fans of the extraction shooter, the multiplayer is becoming the next Fortnite in terms of skill level differences between players.
Does Arc Raiders Have a Skill Gap Issue?
The topic of Arc Raiders having a skill gap issue first kicked off after a video by Twitch streamer TimTheTatman went viral online. In the clip, the streamer claimed that Arc Raiders was starting to have a skill gap situation similar to Fortnite. For context, the Epic Games battle royale had a situation early on where some players became so good at building that they started to dominate other users.
“Do you guys remember when Fortnite first came out? Just how no one was utilizing building in general? But then building became like a curve. In this month, you can see Arc Raiders players already getting way better at this game. Use of grenades, the way they are three peaking. It’s like little things like that.” The popular streamer then said he was shocked at how quickly player skill levels had jumped in just under a month from the game’s launch.
“The scale at which people in a month have gotten way better is really impressive to see. The scale—it just reminds me of Fortnite and its building mechanics.” While TimTheTatMan wasn’t complaining about the skill gap, his video garnered a mix of reactions from the Arc Raiders community. However, some players argued that the skill gap that is forming is becoming too much.
Arc Raiders Players Say the Game is “Too Sweaty”
The recent debate about whether Arc Raiders is having a skill gap issue kicked off online as many players weighed in. For example, one comment wrote, “The game is getting too sweaty, and everybody just wants to pvp now rip Arc Raiders.” Another user reacted, “I can’t play solos anymore without getting ganged up on by eight people all wearing the same outfits. It’s turned into a game you have to play with teammates cuz you will get ganged up on 90% of the time.”
Another common criticism I saw was casual players complaining about certain users spending all day playing the game. “It’s hard to not get good at a game when you have 12 hours a day to play.” The complaint is that most players have jobs and school, so they only have a few hours a day to jump into the shooter. Other users complained that Arc Raiders’ exploits are the reason the game is getting too difficult.
Does Arc Raiders Have an Identity Crisis?
Interestingly, I’ve seen some players even argue that Arc Raiders is currently going through an identity crisis. The argument is that the extraction shooter’s player base is quickly becoming fractured between multiple groups. On the one side, you have PVP players who want to treat the game like a competitive shooter.
But on the other side, you have players who just love the PVE aspect. These players just want to enjoy Arc Raiders by focusing on the game’s incredible NPC enemies and world challenges. And finally, there are the casual players who fall into the middle and who just want to enjoy both aspects.
Adding another layer to all of this is that Arc Raiders is currently developing “gangs” within the game itself. Players are joining clans and essentially kicking off an in-game war against anyone not in their group. For average players who are just trying to jump into a casual session, you can kind of see why this would quickly become problematic.
Will Arc Raiders’ Progression Wipes Fix the Skill Gap — or Make It Worse?
Of course, Arc Raiders is, at the end of the day, an extraction shooter. And a big selling point of the game is the unpredictability of its PVP elements. But as more dedicated players continue to increase their skills and weapon loadouts, we could see the gap currently forming get even bigger.
Only time will tell if Arc Raiders’ Expedition reset wipe feature will solve this issue or just make it worse. After all, resetting your progress gives you exclusive bonuses. Given how quickly players are getting good at the game, though, it does make you wonder if Embark Studios has any plans to address the widening differences between accounts.
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