Embark Shifts PvE Plans to The Finals, Not ARC Raiders, Despite Fan Push
It’s not the PvE experience ARC Raiders players have been asking for, but Embark Studios has still delivered a popular request—just not to the game that’s been clamoring for it. Instead, a new player-versus-environment option is arriving in The Finals, even as Embark continues to manage two live-service titles and tweak each one on its own schedule.
ARC Raiders made a big splash when it launched last October, bringing in player numbers that were unusually strong for the extraction shooter space. Embark’s approach seemed to hit multiple audiences at once, managing to keep both hardcore and more casual players engaged. That momentum was supported by monthly updates, fresh content drops, and limited-time events. Over time, though, interest appears to have cooled slightly, and Embark has signaled that significant changes are coming to ARC Raiders. Many players have also continued to hope that a dedicated PvE mode will eventually arrive for anyone who wants a different way to play.
Embark also shared extra detail on how it monitors ARC Raiders player data, including how much information it collects each day to run those tracking systems.
The Finals Adds a PvE Mode Against Bots
While other extraction shooters have been rolling out PvE options, ARC Raiders will need to wait a little longer. Embark is directing this kind of content to The Finals instead, with it landing in Season 11 of the game. The new offering is called “Galaxy Masters,” and it brings a sci-fi theme to The Finals’ arena-shooter, game-show-style format.
Season 11 is also adding a new map called Galaxy Estates. On top of that, Embark is overhauling the tutorial experience, introducing fresh onboarding contracts, and adding a large set of new cosmetics via the battle pass. The melee system and the ping tool have both been redesigned as part of this update, with the stated goal of improving how those features feel and function during matches.
Loadout Logic
Tap a weapon to cycle through options, or press R while dragging.
The headline feature for Season 11 is the addition of “Bot Matches” as playable modes. Rather than jumping into online matches against other players, you can now choose Cashout (Bots) from the main menu. It’s available as a solo option, as a trio, or through matchmaking so you can team up with others. Embark cautions that the bots are not just simple targets; they’re described as “the real deal,” capable of navigating maps, causing destruction, and using loadouts effectively, like a human player.
Given how ARCs learn and adapt when you face players in ARC Raiders, players should expect a comparable style of AI behavior in these bot fights. Embark has confirmed that this AI approach will keep improving as time goes on. The expectation is that bots will continue expanding into more modes and more maps over time.
ARC Raiders x The Finals Crossover Incentives
Even if this update is frustrating news for ARC Raiders fans, Embark is encouraging players to check out its other shooter. Alongside the start of Season 11, Embark launched a crossover event for people playing both ARC Raiders and The Finals. In The Finals, players get three new quests: earn cash by playing, revive teammates, and secure eliminations or assists.
Completing those quests unlocks the Azimuth Outfit and the Archeologist Backpack for ARC Raiders, provided the player’s Embark ID is linked across both games.
Your Order
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Results
Despite the potential disappointment for ARC Raiders players, the new The Finals content and changes—along with the crossover quest—appear to be paying off. After launching as a free-to-play game on December 8, 2023, The Finals has continued to hold attention, and Season 11 has reportedly helped bring the player count back up.
Console player numbers haven’t been shared, but Steam figures suggest the game has reached a 10-month high for active players. The reported peak places The Finals at over 28,000 players on July 3.
