Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund Says Adding a Permanent PvE Mode to ARC Raiders Would Be Easy as Nearly 50% of Test Matches Used PvE Servers

ARC Raiders could eventually receive a permanent PvE mode, with Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund admitting that implementing the feature would not be particularly difficult. Following a limited-time PvE matchmaking test, the studio appears more open to letting players choose between cooperative PvE gameplay and the existing PvPvE experience.

Söderlund discussed the possibility alongside executive producer Aleksander Grøndal in an interview with The Game Business published on November 3, 2026. Their comments suggest that the studio is reconsidering its earlier hesitation after seeing how many players participated in the experimental mode.

Embark CEO Explains Why Permanent PvE Is Possible

Söderlund clarified that technical limitations were never the primary reason behind Embark‘s reluctance to introduce dedicated PvE matchmaking.

“We could just frankly add PvE,”

he explained, adding that the studio initially wanted to preserve the tension created by encounters with other players. According to Söderlund, PvP contributes an important element to the game’s identity that could change if players no longer faced human opponents.

However, the recent experiment has influenced his perspective. Söderlund acknowledged that the team discovered PvE could be enjoyable and suggested that players might eventually be allowed to choose their preferred experience.

He also recognized that ARC Raiders has attracted a large community with different expectations, making it difficult for the studio to ignore players who prefer cooperative gameplay.

Nearly Half of ARC Raiders Test Matches Used PvE Servers

Grøndal revealed that almost 50% of all matches played during the limited-time PvE experiment took place on dedicated PvE servers. This demonstrated substantial interest in an alternative that removes the threat of hostile Raider encounters.

However, the results were not entirely one-sided. Grøndal explained that some players who initially requested PvE discovered that the mode lacked certain elements they enjoyed in the original experience. Others, meanwhile, thoroughly enjoyed playing without PvP encounters.

Embark now faces the challenge of accommodating both groups without compromising the game’s identity.

Despite Söderlund’s positive comments, Embark has not officially announced a permanent PvE mode or provided a release window. The studio still needs to consider how separate matchmaking options could affect the game’s economy, loot progression, server populations, and live-service events.

The developer’s immediate priority is finding a solution that respects different player preferences without weakening the existing PvPvE experience.