ARC Raiders’ New Anti-Cheat Process Has Led to “Tens of Thousands” of Players Getting Banned

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Following the introduction of its new three-strike ban policy in ARC Raiders, Embark Studios has made it clear they’re getting tougher on cheaters. In an interview with IGN, CEO Patrick Söderlund explained that the development team is taking a very firm approach to the issue.

When asked about the new anti-cheat system, Söderlund explained they’ve been actively working to combat cheating since it launched last month. While he didn’t share exact numbers, he said the system is having a noticeable impact. He noted that while the game didn’t initially have many cheaters, it’s a common problem for popular multiplayer games. He compared dealing with cheaters to defending against a DDoS attack – developers need to stay one step ahead to protect the game.

Söderlund explained that cheaters usually respond fast when new anti-cheat systems are put in place. To stay ahead of them, the studio needs to constantly develop and implement improvements, which eventually resulted in their three-strike ban policy.

Keeping up with cheaters is a constant challenge. As soon as we address one issue, they find a new way to exploit the game, he said. Banning players requires careful consideration – we need to ensure those who are rightfully banned are, and it’s a tricky balance. Generally, between 0.1% and 1% of players in large multiplayer games are cheating and deserve some form of punishment, whether it’s a temporary or permanent ban.

Embark Studios reports the new anti-cheat system is proving effective. While they’ve banned tens of thousands of players, they’re also receiving a large number of appeals, which suggests the system is identifying and addressing cheating behavior. This influx of appeals is seen as a positive sign by the developers.

As a big fan, I’ve noticed a lot more people trying to reach out to the studio and to me directly, and it seems like that’s because they’ve been banned. A lot of them are saying they didn’t do anything wrong! The developers have told me they’ve already banned tens of thousands of players, and they’re really focused on making sure everything is fair. They want to be able to fix any mistakes quickly so no one gets unfairly punished. It’s good to see them taking it so seriously.

The game ARC Raiders is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Since launching in October 2025, the PvPvE extraction shooter has proven very popular, even exceeding expectations at its parent company, Nexon. Nexon CEO Junghun Lee recently shared that ARC Raiders has performed twice as well as he originally predicted.

Embark Studios recently shared its plans for the future of ARC Raiders, outlining a lot of new content coming in the next few months.

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2026-02-09 15:42