Embark Studios Discusses Arc Raiders Matchmaking Insights

In a recent chat with GamesRadar+, Virgil Watkins, the design lead at Embark Studios, shed some light on how Arc Raiders’ matchmaking sorts players based on their PvP tendencies. While some might overthink it, Watkins believes the community’s understanding is pretty spot-on. He states, “It’s a bit of a misnomer calling it aggression-based, and it is something we’re going to keep tuning, but people aren’t far off in how they think it works.”

I was curious if the developers had concerns that players might try to exploit the matchmaking system with a simplified grasp of how it works. Still, Watkins appears unperturbed, viewing it as just another facet of the experience. He notes, “At present, I think we’re kind of okay with the fact that you have some agency over the situation. If you really want to try to adjust and play in a bit of a less hostile environment, you are afforded [a way] to do so.” However, he emphasizes that it’s important for players to realize that the system isn’t strictly binary. “Obviously, you can tell it’s weighted one way or the other, but it’s never like, you are now only with PvE players, you are now only with PvP players. It’s a weighted system,” Watkins explains, highlighting the layers involved in player matchups.

Furthermore, he firmly dismisses any lingering feels regarding skill or gear-based matchmaking by adding, “We don’t do anything like skill-based matchmaking or gear-based matchmaking. It’s really just this kind of rating system we have that maneuvers, and we’re just going to keep monitoring match health and player response, and tune it from there.”

This conversation sparked thoughts about a possible PvP singularity, where more players might be flagged as PvP participants regardless of context. I asked Watkins how the system identifies aggressors. He responded, “That’s a good point to raise, because we can track who shoots first and who takes damage and who [does] whatever. But the one thing the system does not do is attempt to assume intent. If I’m a very bad player and you’re a good player, and I’m the aggressor and I just miss all my shots and you defend yourself, the game doesn’t know what the intent was.”

Watkins emphasized that the system does not pass moral judgments; it simply registers player engagement in PvP. “So it’s a bit of a blunt instrument, which is why we’re continuing to add and tune what we do with it. We have a ton of data to work with for now, seeing how the matches go and where those players are matched up.”

He acknowledges that this aspect is somewhat self-correcting—steering players away from PvP if they dislike it, ultimately connecting them with others who are less likely to shoot. Still, it merely shifts perspectives along a gradient of behaviors, factoring in wildcards that could shake things up in each lobby. In terms of video game karma systems, which often fall short due to their binary and predictable nature, this one stands out as one of the most intriguing approaches I’ve encountered.

In other news, fans can look forward to the “Toxic Swamp” map event coming next week as part of new raider trials, indicating that Embark is clearly taking notes from FromSoftware.