ARC Raiders slashes store prices and finally adds doubles matchmaking

ARC Raiders is quickly becoming a huge hit! In just under two weeks, it’s sold over 4 million copies and attracted nearly 500,000 players at the same time. Embark Studios’ new game shows no signs of slowing down.

However, there have been valid criticisms. It’s understandable – nothing is flawless. I don’t fault the game for having weaknesses, even though it’s arguably the best multiplayer shooter we’ve seen in years.

Many players of the game were upset about the prices in the in-game store. Some bundles were costing $20, which is half the price of the entire game! While a few items were cheaper, even individual outfits – without any extras like charms or complete looks – were around $10. It’s important to note that this price point wasn’t universal to all items.

Adding to the frustration, there wasn’t a separate queue for players who wanted to team up as a duo. If you wanted to play with just one friend, you’d often end up facing teams of multiple players instead of another pair.

This meant teams either played very cautiously when paired up, or avoided the strategy altogether. Many preferred to add a third player, or even play alone, to eliminate the possibility of blaming a teammate for a loss.

Today, all of those problems are being addressed.

Embark makes the best game even better

Embark Studios has announced it will slash store prices in response to player feedback.

Thanks for letting us know what you thought about our prices! We’ve taken a look and are lowering them where we can. The new prices will be available tomorrow, Thursday the 13th, at 10:30 CET. If you’ve already bought something at the old price, we’ll automatically refund the difference to your account as Raider Tokens within the next week.

For our friends in the United States, the update will happen at 3:30 AM Central Time. We don’t have details on the new prices yet, but we’ll share them here as soon as we do.

Plus, Embark is fixing the issue of finding partners for duo queue by making it easier to team up with a friend when searching!

We’ve quietly launched a new matchmaking system for players who queue as a Duo. Here’s how it works: we’ll first try to keep Solo players separate from Squads. Then, we’ll prioritize matching Duos with other Duos, and Trios with Trios. Keep in mind this isn’t perfect, so you might occasionally end up in a match with players in different team sizes.

It’s a great day to be an ARC Raider player! I’m really happy to see a doubles playlist added – it was a big issue I brought up in my review. I usually avoid playing with just one other person, so I hadn’t even realized it was missing until now.

Since prices are going down in the store, I’ll save a little money – and I admit, I’ve been contributing to the demand! I wasn’t really bothered by the original prices, but I also got a head start with 2400 tokens from the Deluxe Edition I bought, plus another 900 from the Raider Deck and the Embark program itself.

These changes show Embark Studios is building a great community, and I hope they keep it up. It’s obvious from the Alpha and Beta tests that the developers really listen to what players are saying, and making choices based on that feedback is fantastic.

Embark has also doubled down on its promise to keep Pay-to-Win mechanics clear of ARC Raiders.

We currently offer one free Raider Deck for all players. We plan to add more options in the future, including both free and premium decks. Here are a few key details:

Gameplay Items are only in free Raider Decks. To help you along the way as a new Raider, we have included some Gameplay Items in the free Raider Deck, which can be unlocked via progression.
There are no Pay to Win items in the premium Raider Decks. The focus for premium Decks are based on cosmetics and convenience.

Honestly, I’m really impressed with everything the developers are doing with ARC Raiders. Aside from the current discussion about the AI, they’re clearly putting a lot of effort and care into making the game enjoyable for their fans.

In case you missed it

Embark Studios has shared its plans for the rest of 2025, showing they’re focused on keeping players engaged with new content. Over the coming months, players can look forward to a brand new map called Stella Montis, along with fresh community events, enemies, items, weapons, and quests.

As an analyst, I’m particularly focused on weapon and map balance. I anticipate some adjustments to weapons like the Venator – it’s currently incredibly powerful, especially when equipped with extended magazine mods. With a 12+ magazine attachment, it dominates engagements, making it very difficult to compete against if you’re on the receiving end.

Stella Montis is expected to launch with new enemies for the ARC mode, and hopefully, some fresh challenges will be added to the other maps too. I’m really hoping for some variety in the enemy types – it would be great to fight something different than the usual tough combinations of Bombardiers/Bastions or Leapers/Rocketeers.

I’ve noticed the enemy types – Wasps, Snitch, and Hornets – are starting to feel a bit too alike. Adding more distinct differences between them would really improve the game.

FAQ

What changed in ARC Raiders’ store?

As a researcher following Embark Studios, I’ve noticed they’ve recently reduced the price of some of their cosmetic bundles – some were previously priced as high as $20. They’re also taking care of players who bought those bundles at the higher price by giving them Raider Tokens as compensation.

Why was matchmaking updated?

Previously, players in duos often found themselves competing against teams of four players, which wasn’t fair. The updated system now focuses on matching duos with other duos, creating a more even playing field for two-player teams.

Does ARC Raiders have pay‑to‑win mechanics?

Premium Raider Decks purchased through Embark will only change how your deck *looks*, not how you play the game. Anything that affects gameplay will be available for free as you progress.

When do these changes go live?

Price adjustments and duo matchmaking began rolling out in mid‑November 2025.

What’s next for ARC Raiders?

Embark’s plans for 2025 include a brand new map called Stella Montis, adjustments to weapon performance, new enemy types for ARC mode, and more events for the community.

2025-11-12 18:12