Summary
ARC Raiders has officially announced its PvE mode test—and it comes with more rules, restrictions, and quirks than anyone expected. If you're planning to jump in, here's the complete breakdown of how the mode actually works, what's been excluded, and the one restriction that cuts off a major endgame route for ARC Raiders Items.
Test window: October 13 at 4:00 AM Central Time (11:00 AM CST for Europe / 5:00 AM Eastern / 2:00 AM Pacific) through October 20.
This is not permanent. Embark is running a temporary test to collect data and decide whether a full deployment is worth pursuing.
1. The New Restrictions Announced Today
Embark clarified several rules that were not in the original announcement. The biggest one:
Redirection Is Now Excluded
Redirection joins Night Raid, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, and Frigate as unavailable in PvE.
Why this matters: Redirection is one of the primary targeted routes for acquiring:
Emperor Payloads
Emperor Couplers
Gateway Conduit components
The Gateway Conduit blueprint
In other words, PvE players cannot progress toward building Emperor access through this route. The Frigate was already confirmed unavailable—Redirection is the new addition.
Open question: Can someone who already has a Conduit in their stash simply walk into a PvE lobby and open the Emperor? Embark hasn't confirmed this. If you already have a Conduit, this is one of the first things worth testing.
Stuns and Fire Throwables Are Disabled
Stun effects and fire throwables will not affect other Raiders in PvE. This was clarified to remove any ambiguity about what "zero player damage" actually covers.
2. What Still Works: Physical Interactions
Even with damage disabled, barricades and zip lines still physically interact with other players. There is no pass-through mechanic—you still have a physical barrier between you and another Raider.
This means players can still:
Block routes
Interfere with traversal
Race you for containers
Pull ARC toward another group
Interfere with extraction spaces
Key takeaway: No player damage doesn't mean no player conflict. Competition shifts from killing each other to fighting over loot and positioning.
3. Downed State: The 8-Second ARC Grace Period
Here's exactly what happens when ARC downs you in PvE:
ARC can attack and fully eliminate you in this mode.
However, downed players receive an 8-second grace period where ARC will not attack.
Use that window to crawl into a building or reach a safe location before you're fully eliminated.
This gives you at least some time to reposition before being finished off.
4. Squad Size Is Not Segregated
Embark confirmed that squad size is not prioritized in PvE matchmaking. Solos, duos, and trios can all share the same PvE session.
What this means in practice:
You can queue solo and end up in a session with a trio.
Duos can be experienced alongside solos and trios.
The likely reason is queue time management.
There is no separation based on squad size.
5. Loot Economy: PvE Is Less Rewarding by Design
Embark is deliberately making PvE less rewarding:
PvE mode has an overall lower loot value because players are taking away significant risk.
PvPvE (normal mode) baseline loot is actually getting slightly higher.
Both changes are being tested simultaneously. Embark hasn't fully explained what "lower overall loot value" means in practice—this is something players will need to compare once the test is live.
6. What Embark Is Actually Measuring
This test isn't just about whether people enjoy a PvE lobby. Embark is collecting a broad set of data:
How many players actually use PvE
Economy impact
Extraction values players are able to obtain
Queue times
Matchmaking health
Regional population effects
Effect on normal PvPvE sessions
Server performance
The concern: if more friendly players move into PvE, does PvPvE become more aggressive? Do queue times get longer? Do certain regions suffer? Does matchmaking quality change?
Player data context:
51% of the surveyed player base expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option (this doesn't mean 51% want PvP removed—just that they want a PvE option).
Play style classification: roughly 37% friendly co-op, 27% mixed, 34% pure PvP.
70% of friendly players wanted fewer hostile encounters.
Even 40% of the PvP group wanted fewer hostile encounters.
7. Trials Season 6: New Rewards and a Strange Date Issue
Alongside the PvE test, Embark quietly launched a new Trial season with:
Myestro outfit (grand prize)
Yellow variant at Hot Shot
Red variant at Kina Legend
Sheriff badge charm
Infrared transmitter attachment
Pumped dance
Scrappy pop helmet
Date discrepancy: Earlier versions and mirrors of Embark's post showed November 16th, while the current official page says January 12th. The official website now states the season runs until January 12th. The earlier date was likely incorrect or was changed after publishing.
Unanswered question: Does PvE count toward Trials or the Trial leaderboard progress and relevant ARC objectives? As of now, there's no confirmed information.
8. What Happens After October 20?
Embark will review:
Gameplay data
Matchmaking data
Economic effects
The player survey at the end (which will ask where players want PvE to go next)
Explicit warnings from Embark:
This is not a guaranteed stay.
This is not confirmation of a permanent mode.
The future version could look very different.
The experiment may simply fail.
Whether you love PvE or believe ARC Raiders absolutely needs PvP, this week matters more than it looks. Embark isn't just measuring whether a PvE toggle works—they're measuring what it does to the entire game. For players who want to buy ARC Raiders Items and stay prepared for whichever direction the game takes, MMOEXP is a reliable marketplace worth checking out for a smooth and secure experience.
9. Priority Things to Test on Day One
If you're jumping in, these are the most valuable things to verify:
Emperor access with an existing Conduit — Can you open the Emperor in a PvE lobby if you already have a Conduit?
Actual loot difference — How much lower is PvE loot compared to PvPvE, and how much higher is PvPvE baseline now?
Trial progression — Does PvE count toward Trials and leaderboard progress?
Physical player interactions — How far can barricades, zip lines, and route blocking actually disrupt other players?
All of the above are worth testing—and the results may shape what PvE becomes next.
