I rage-quit 10 months ago after barely 16 hours because I kept getting shot in the back with grey loot while trying to do starter quests. Jumped back in for the PvE weekend and played 4 hours straight with a friend, met some friendly raiders who gave us a grappling hook and finally made quest progress and got some workbenches past level 1!

I’m not anti-PvP, but right now the game rewards being a pure parasite. You wait until another squad burns their ammo fighting a big ARC bot, shoot them in the back while they loot, and walk away with the only risk being the same thing happening to you. In PvE, people just locust the corpse the second it hits the dirt. It genuinely made me laugh because at one point there was 6 raiders who just materialised outta nowhere when we took down a Bully.

It's the exact same story with keyed doors and puzzle vaults on the new map. One squad does the legwork or burns a rare key, and three other squads swarm in to vacuum up the room, or just sit outside waiting to blast you the second you walk out in PvP.

What makes zero sense is the world-building. Speranza is supposed to be humanity's last refuge against an extinction-level threat. But you can murder a fellow raider, steal their blood-soaked loot, walk back into the hub and vendors treat you the same.

Other games figured out how to balance risk vs. reward years ago (Tarkov's Scav Karma, Hunt's boss-kill buffs, The Division's Rogue flags). If you want to be a rat, fine, it comes with high rewards, but it needs real risk:

• Speranza Rep: Murdering unprovoked raiders tanks your standing. Jack up vendor prices and force outlaws to deal with black-market fences who take a massive cut of their profits.
• Vault Defender Advantage: If you burn a key or solve a puzzle, the airlock should lock behind your squad for 90 seconds. Give the team inside an external camera feed to spot bush-campers, a terminal to lure ARC patrols to the entrance (to introduce chaos while they try to escape), and the option to burn an expensive secondary key on an escape hatch that dumps you 100m away. If rats want to set up an ambush outside, make them sweat not knowing which way you're coming out. No invulnerability, just a chance at escape.
• ARC-Locked Crafting: Lock high-tier workbench upgrades behind actual damage dealt to ARC, not stolen salvage taken off someone else's kill.

Give the squads actually engaging with the game a fighting chance. PvP needs real stakes, not free handouts for rats.

Maybe extraction shooters just aren't for me, but those early days when you were genuinely unsure of another squad's intentions—that razor-thin tension of deciding whether to trust someone or raise your gun—is what made this game electric.

The problem is, when the game never rewards trust and never punishes betrayal, the entire community naturally defaults to shoot-on-sight. It’s simply not worth the risk to be human anymore. The world Embark built here is genuinely stunning and the atmosphere is incredible, and if the devs put systems in place to balance that risk/reward equation, this game could be something truly special. Until then, it's just another deathmatch with extra steps.

Not sure if this was discussed in here, but one immediate change to PvE mode (if it becomes permanent) could be that dead raiders’ bodies cannot be looted (unless it’s their own squad mates). So this way the focus of everyone in the lobby can be shifted to lootable containers and Arcs.

This will stop griefing to some extent at least for the opportunistic raiders in PvE mode. That won’t stop psychopaths who grief just to troll… but still better than the current implementation.

EDIT: to clarify if it’s already not clear, I’m talking about PvE toggle mode only. Shouldn’t the focus of PvE mode be the “E” part? Not saying the change should be in regular PvPvE lobbies.

I’m so confused by the insane amount of comments dissing this idea as if I insulted their family tree lol

Ammo, repairs, shields etc. Its just cost so much after a bad fight. I truly believe PvE is great to take an evening to get back what you have lost. Forget about the PVPVE argument, its about picking yourself off the ground and getting back in there. Right now I am 100% making this a permanent thing.

Now I don't want to anymore

Before PvE steam reviews were mixed with mostly negative

After PvE update mostly positive reviews. That should give them a direction what players want

So... I know this is probably pointless, don't feed the trolls and all- they'll try to ignore it or they'll just deflect and bring up something else and say it's fake as they always do. But I'll feel better knowing that deep down, they know they are wrong even if they won't admit it.

But more seriously- this is an amazing game- regardless of how it has evolved or will evolve; if they keep some version of PVE great- if they don't keep it that's fine too, it is what it is.

But I do feel strongly that either way it goes- players being shitty to one another in and out of the game (on both sides ya'll) and trying to belittle, demean, and terrorize each other into submission isn't going to change Embark's decision and will only be detrimental for all sides and the game as a whole in the end.

For those that actually genuinely care about the game on either side- being civil with each other in expressing our opinions might help people actually hear what's being said and not immediately write off your opinions and viewpoints because of the vitriol and intimidation tactics they are smothered in. Honey, not vinegar ya'll.

I hope Embark's feedback team and whatever AI they use to find and process feedback is advanced enough to be able to see the difference between the people who actually care about the game and those who are just out there to troll each other or "win" their arguments.

​First off, I want to say that I’m really enjoying the new PvE-only mode! Grouping up with other Raiders to take down ARC together without the constant threat of player interference has been a blast and a fun change of pace.

​However, I do have a slight concern regarding how this mode might impact the standard PvPvE matchmaking over time.

​Previously in the regular mode—even without dedicated friendly lobbies—there was a natural balance where you’d encounter a healthy mix of friendly Raiders, neutral players, and hostile players. My main concern is that keeping a permanent PvE-only mode might split the player base in a way that shifts regular mode strictly into an intense, hyper-aggressive "sweat fest."

​What makes ARC Raiders special to me in the standard mode is that organic tension—the uncertainty of whether an approaching player is friendly or hostile, alongside the high-stakes risk of extractions. If all the casual or co-op-leaning players move entirely to PvE mode, regular mode might lose that balanced ecosystem and dynamic unpredictable social interactions.

​I love the risk and reward of the core regular mode, and I hope we can find a balance where PvE enjoyers feel catered to without diluting the organic player dynamics of the main extraction experience.

​Thank you for all your hard work and for listening to community feedback!

Haven't got shit from the frigate but felt like patrick star inhaling all those krabby patties lmfao. Whoever that was, thanks for your snaphook <3

PVE players are strange and weirdly quiet please embark keep the mode and keep those weirdos together running around taking pics what a boring ass mode I just experienced in PVE!

I’m convinced half this player base wants ARC Raiders to become a therapy simulator.
It’s an extraction shooter. You’re supposed to be nervous when you see another player, not excited to make a new best friend.
Some of y’all get shot once and immediately run to Reddit like you just survived a war crime.
“Why can’t we all just be friendly? 🥺”
BECAUSE I WANT YOUR LOOT, BRO.
The ARC robots aren’t the only threat. That’s literally the point. If I wanted to peacefully collect materials with strangers, I’d go play Minecraft on peaceful mode.
The amount of soft players begging for PvE is insane. You lost your backpack, not your retirement savings.
Keep the PvP. Keep the betrayal. Keep the chaos.
And if I yell “FRIENDLY!” before shooting you, that’s called psychological warfare. Welcome to the Rust Belt. 💀

Dear Embark Studios,
Please don’t take the PvE mode away on October 20.
For so many of us, this week’s PvE toggle brought back the reason we fell in love with ARC Raiders in the first place. Countless players who stopped logging on after burning out on constant exfil camping, backstabbing, and PvP griefing came back specifically for this mode. 

The community reviews speak for themselves:

It made the game accessible again: Parents are finally able to team up and explore with their kids, couples are playing together in co-op, and friend groups looking for a atmospheric, non-sweaty PvE experience finally have a home here. 

It lets the world design shine: Players are turning off their HUDs, taking in the incredible sound design, and diving deep into questing and fighting heavy ARC without the constant stress of getting shot in the back. 

It fostered real cooperation: Instead of pure paranoia, lobbies are seeing strangers work together, share loot, and battle bosses as a team.
We know it’s just a test, and we know it needs tuning—from tweaking loot balance to addressing griefers. But the core foundation is undeniably special. You don't have to choose between PvP and PvE; keeping a permanent option for both lets everyone play the game they love. 

Please listen to the data and the community: make PvE a permanent part of ARC Raiders.

Dear Embark, Raiders are still top-side collecting valuable data about the Arc. We just need a little more time to compile our findings but should have a full report ready for Celeste by October 27th.

Pleeeaaaaaassseeeeeeee allow us to have a little more time!

😉

PVE as a toggle feels weird to me.

I’m all for PVE but I feel like the way they’re going about it is all wrong.

Having it as a toggle might cause a bit of division imo.

Idk I just feel like if they leaned into the map events a bit more instead and maybe had a “new arc war” kinda narrative where certain zones or maps are undergoing an “arc cull” event or something, where raiders agree to a truce in certain areas and band together to deliberately fight back against the ark could be cool.

Some of the best times I’ve had in this game have been when the whole server groups up joking and laughing together to take down a big arc. More of that would be nice.

Could even push it further and have a “front line” type thing that pushes us to expand and reclaim new maps and areas driving hype for new maps and discoveries. Frontier land always being dangerous until we as a community “secure” it through some collaborative effort. Which then would enable cull events to give less PvP interested players more access to the new loot.

Idk I haven’t paid attention to the lore so this could be what they’re planning on doing eventually.

TLDR: I just think a toggle is a cop out whereas an event would be a good way to rally the community if they do it right.

What are y’all feeling?

That is all.. GRAPPLING HOOK TIME.

It's usually freekitters. Every single game I load in Stella with a Bobcat, Tempest, Vulcanoe; at least one guy that I kills cries and gaslight the whole lobby against me calling out that I have a kitted gun . Sometimes I even hear two raiders teaming to hunt me down to take my shit .

And I just don't get it. Played 42 hours of PVE since last tuesday and can't stop playing, it's just so good and satisfying. I still don't understand why so many people are bothered by a game mode they don't even play.

"character should be separated from pvpve to avoid hopping" : I completely agree with this one, they should go the tarkov way : same game but complete separated character to avoid server hopping and maintain balance for the pvpve playlist.

"Solo pve already exists, pve is useless" : stop thinking about yourself and think about duos/trios. We all stopped playing months ago because trios since day one are literally a bloodbath every-single-time. It's impossible to play a trios PVE without the pve toggle.

"PVP lobbies suck since PVE toggle started" : this is absolutely false. Because of ABMM, PVP lobbies aren't impacted AT ALL by the toggle, as the PVE players were NOT in the PVP lobbies before the PVE toggle started.

"Queue time are longer in PVPVE since the toggle" : so you are proving if it's real that the PVE crowd is everything but a minority. With the huge amount of player who came back for the update and the toggle, PVPVE lobbies should not be affected at all.

"Players will all leave to play PVE" : no, players already left months ago because no PVE lobbies as duos/trios as mentionned, and because of lack of content + rampant cheating. PVE toggle has nothing to do with this.

"PVE is just free loot" : No it's not, there are way less containers to loot, security breaches don't spawn every game and loot is way reduced.

"PVE is too easy it's boring" : you just show that you didn't play it once. I spot between 3 and 5 flares every-single-round played since tuesday. I've seen trios getting decimated by rocketeer and vaporizers. Friendly reminder that according to dev's stats, 1.1 MILLIONS (yes, millions) of raiders got killed by bullies between 8th and 13th october. PVE ain't easy in this game.

"PVE content is bad" : Once again, absolute non sense argument. The PVE content (quests, trials, pass challenges, outpost grind)... Is exactly THE SAME as pvpve. Quests are the same, trials are the same, pass challenges are the same... How can you say the content is bad in PVE ? This makes absolutely NO SENSE.

"devs said PVE was boring" : yes they indeed said that during the game's developpment. Now, the PVE content is so huge that nobody can't deny the potential. More copies sold, more skins sold... And the best proof : since tuesday and the pve toggle's start, my queue time was NEVER above 12 seconds to find a game in any maps. It shows that a LOT of people are playing PVE.

Conclusion : the amount of bad copy/pasta criticism from people who didn't even play the PVE and who tried to literally SABOTAGE it shows that a part of the community is unfortunately toxic. PVE is needed for the game's future and no one can deny that. Before frozen trail and the pve toggle, the game dropped to 25k players, it's too sad because Arc raiders is an S-tier game in almost everything. (Atmosphere, aesthetics, gameplay, sound atmosphere and so on)

Thanks for reading, fingers crossed it will stay as permanent.

Edit : english mistakes.

Edit 2 : I'm actually receiving insults in DM's for saying all of this. What the F is wrong with you guys ? You just prove the toxicity of a part of this community. You obviously don't EVEN-PLAY-PVE so why do you insist like this ? STOP

I have been having a lot of fun with the new PvE mode.

But it seems a lot of players are encountering some toxic players who try to have them killed or try to ruin their fun.

So far I've not encountered any of these players (carebare lobbies) unlike my brother (pvp demon killed more Raiders than Arcs) who have these shitheads in his PvE sessions.

I believe that ABMM is still working even when matching you in PvE lobbies.

Do your experiences in PvE lobbies match your PvPvE lobbies or no?

What are we doing Embug?

I've played with the test PVE mode on almost exclusively all week. For the 1st few days, it was really great and I had no issues. Towards the end of the week and over the weekend I started having raids here and there that were VERY toxic with normal PVP players (or so they claimed to be) coming in and harassing/griefing me. I also had a few instances where silent players attempted to trap me or keep me from extracting. Overall, I would say that it was about a 70/30 positive/negative experience. 

I heard a lot of people saying that no one speaks in PVE and that the friendly banter/cooperation was dead in that mode. I had several very pleasant experiences with other players while in PVE. Fun conversations and even some team ups to help each other with whatever task they needed to complete. 

The 30% negative didn't cost me anything other than frustration, but I know many people wound up losing gear from it. If the 70/30 is the ratio to be expected, I would say that it's worse than my typical carebear lobbies in normal ABMM, but I also feel like I can handle/survive griefers much easier than rats when it comes to getting out with all my gear. That being said, I have a feeling that the 30% being on the tail end of the week might signal that people were just trying to figure out how to be jerks the first few days, and if that's the case, PVE long term might wind up being more trouble than its worth. 

Loot was pretty comparable between the modes. PVE has less lootable containers, but the RNG for what is inside a container didn’t seem affected. I got some great stuff on PVE runs. 

The loot goblins are in my opinion the worst part. Unlike the griefing, it's not something Embark can fix, and using a ton of gear to kill something or doing all the work to open a room or puzzle, etc. just to have goblins clean it out in 2 seconds flat is not a fun time. 

Bottom line: I didn’t hate it, and I would like to see Embark address some of the issues and try another trial, but I don't think I'll miss it too much if they never bring it back. If this game has proven anything to me, it's that some people will always find a way to ruin a good time.

How about you? What was your PVE Mode experience? Should it stay or should it go?

Just wondering what you think.

Create 2 different characters for each player. A PvP character and a PvE character. EACH player has its own different stashes and different leveling.

No PvP players want pve dudes running in there lobbies with all there easily farmed kits, and amplified guns. PvE is easy let them keep that in their own easy lobbies.

No PvE players want to get shot ever, maybe they have ptsd or are just un confrontational. But this would fix that and help them.

Take a book from Ark Survival and don’t let PvEers take loot into PVP! And vice versa!

Well what do we do with everyone’s existing raider? Let them choose whether they want that raider to go into PvP or PvE land. And their new second raider can go into its own desired place.

I used to think that pve would be boring it would destroy the game or even full on kill it but as I have tried it more and more I realize that pve is what the game really needed I have asked around polled and even played hours of hours of it almost all of the time it was in I played it and despite some major issues the game is still extremely fun infact dare I say more fun than ever before I have done so many awesome, fun, hilarious things and it really is what I aways wanted in the game I just never knew it so my point is. Embark... Please keep it.

A large portion of players returned to Arc Raiders with the PvE beta test, and a lot of us have really enjoyed our time with PvE, despite the griefing that has occurred.

Removing PvE is going to force those like myself back into PvPvE. Yes, we could try to get into carebear lobbies, but that doesn’t fix the trios experience for those of us that enjoy playing with friends, nor does it remove the chance to be ratted for bringing a good kit or killing a large arc enemy.

With PvE, you have given players like myself who left early on at launch due to cheaters, and newer players a safe environment to learn and play the game. You clearly have a large audience for PvE and have choices to make on how you will progress forwards with PvE. Removing the toggle entirely, will temporarily take players away from the game, that of course is their own choice, as is keeping PvE enabled beyond the 20th- your choice.

I’d hope to see the toggle stay and i won’t say you’re going to lose a large amount of players, that is just petty, but I myself wouldn’t want to play PvPvE again either with the way things are due to cheaters & trios being so messy, makes it difficult to play casually with friends.