The team behind ARC Raiders has announced that there won’t be an additional beta for the game. In an update to players, Embark Studios revealed why the extraction shooter won’t have any more public playtests.
There Won’t Be an Arc Raiders Beta
When ARC Raiders held playtests back in April, the extraction shooter became an unexpected viral hit. The game surprised many players with its detailed features and overall polish. The tech test was such a success that some even attribute it to being one of the reasons Bungie delayed Marathon into 2026.
According to Embark Studios, however, ARC Raiders will be skipping a beta and Gamescom as they are now focusing on getting the final game out in time for its October 2025 launch.
“The team here in Stockholm is in full gear, getting ready for release on October 30! Our focus is now on polishing and expanding the experience, and putting all the learnings from the tech test 2 into action ahead of release. Just so you know, we’re not planning additional public tests before launch. We’ve learned from our last announcement that it’s crucial to keep expectations in check, so we also want to be clear that we won’t be at Gamescom. But don’t worry, our launch campaign will kick off before you know it!”
While the lack of an ARC Raiders Tech Test 3 might be disappointing to some players, this actually sounds like good news overall. It appears that the development of ARC Raiders is on track for its final release. The Swedish studio also confirmed that they won’t be going completely radio silent before the game’s launch.
“We’ll have many more updates for you in the lead-up to launch. Thank you for all the support and encouragement you’ve been sending our way! It means the world.”
Some Players Are Disappointed by no Tech test 3
Although most were supportive of Embark Studios focusing on the game’s launch, some ARC Raiders fans were critical of the decision against another beta. The main complaint was that the extraction shooter only had closed tests, and that an open beta would have allowed them to properly test servers. Disgruntled ARC Raiders players took to social media to react to the studio’s latest update.
“There needs to be another Open Beta to test the servers. You did a closed test but a lot of people didn’t even have the chance to play your game. Drop an Open Beta or your servers will be on fire on launch,” one user wrote. “Bro, look at The Finals. Great game but no one plays. You are competing with COD and BF6; you should have done another open beta,” another said.
Regardless, I think Embark Studios should at least be applauded for their transparency. I had a few friends who were anticipating the ARC Raiders Tech Test 3, so I’m glad the studio got out in front early and set expectations.
As far as the “server” argument goes, Embark already launched The Finals without any issues, so I’m pretty sure the team behind ARC Raiders knows how to run an online game.
Still, if you were hoping to get a taste of the extraction shooter, you’re going to have to wait until it launches on October 30, 2025.
The post An ARC Raiders Open Beta Is No Longer Happening. Here’s Why. appeared first on VICE.
