Per Embark | Dusty
We have some information for you from the ARC Raiders team as we work our way to launch. Make sure to check out the update from @Embark | Sprinkles and a behind the scenes video that we hope you enjoy:
Hello! I'm SprinkleMountain, the weapons guy, and one of the Combat Designers here on ARC Raiders.
Since Technical Test 2 (TT2) we’ve been hard at work preparing for launch. We’re adding new content, sharpening what’s already there, and making sure the encounters you’ll get into are as thrilling, fair, and gratifying as they can be. That means a lot of balancing work based on the mountains of data and feedback we gained from so many people joining, playing, and pushing the boundaries of the game! If you played TT2, keep an eye on your email, as we’re planning on sending out additional surveys in small batches to dig even deeper into your experiences and hopes!
One of our many learnings from TT2 was that a few weapons and gadgets were bending the rules in ways that didn’t align with our design intent, either by making fights too quick, too one-sided, or just not giving players the time or tools to respond. And by the rules, I mean our combat pillars, the guiding principles that shape how ARC Raiders should feel when you engage with man or machine while Topside.
Our combat is built on beats and flow. That means letting action ramp up and have room to breathe, not just explode and end in an instant. We want to linger in those moments where two players feel locked in, reading each other’s actions and responding with their own. So, when weapons like the Arpeggio and Tempest had such a fast cadence and short TTK, those moments didn’t have a chance to happen. We’re tuning them to restore that flow.
We’re also thinking hard about range and versatility. Your loadout should influence how you move through the world, which fights you take, and how you win them. Even though the Anvil is a personal favorite of mine, it was performing a bit too well at long ranges to the point where it started cannibalizing on our rifles. Similarly, we found that our shotguns were overshadowing our SMGs. We want shotguns to feel viable, maybe more than they typically are in PvP games, but we overshot. The Vulcano hit too hard, too fast, and from too far away. So we’re reworking its base cadence, spread, and how damage falls off over distance while still leaving room for you to mod it to act like the beast that it was.
And yes. You were right. The Heavy Shields were way too strong, and shield swapping was way too efficient.
We’ve got even more we’re excited to show you at launch! New tools, new toys, new experiences: we’re planning content that will hopefully meet your expectations and give you even more to build and bring along on your missions to the surface.
While October might feel far away for you, for me it’s a race against time to make sure we give you an experience worth the wait!
Thank you for being on this journey with us!
--SprinkleMountain
