How Matchmaking in Arc Raiders Mirrors Your Playstyle

In the dynamic world of Arc Raiders, players are known to be either unexpectedly supportive teammates in the post-apocalypse or sneaky backstabbers who’ll snatch your hard-earned chicken feed. But what if you could manipulate who you encounter while raiding? That’s exactly what YouTuber Domi set out to explore. By creating two distinct accounts, he aimed to see if the game’s matchmaking system adjusts based on player behavior.

One of Domi’s accounts leaned heavily towards PvP, embodying the shoot-first, ask-questions-later mentality. The other account, however, took a more peaceful approach, prioritizing PvE interactions and mostly avoiding any conflict with fellow players. What Domi discovered is quite intriguing: his aggressive account consistently matched with other combative players. In a noteworthy moment, he even posed a question to an opponent about their tendency to attack first, confirming that they shared the same aggressive tendencies before they promptly engaged in a battle to the end.

On the flip side, his friendly raider had a much more laid-back experience. “Everything is chill and nice,” Domi remarked after running into nine friendly faces consecutively. “No one shot me. Not a single soul even attempted to shoot me.”

This phenomenon isn’t merely anecdotal. In a conversation with PC Gamer, Robert Sammelin, the art director of Embark Studios, stated that the matchmaking system is quite intricate. He highlighted that they do analyze player behavior to inform matchmaking decisions. Other factors, such as your loadout, may also influence who you find in your games, but it seems your actions can indeed shape the vibe you attract. That raider who thwarted your chance to escape might just be the result of some karmic retribution.

As the developers progress with Arc Raiders, they assure the community that “the work is just beginning” for this extraction shooter. They recently gifted all players 1,000 tokens, reinforcing their commitment to long-term engagement with the game’s audience.