ARC Raiders PvE Mode: Embark Says It Would Be Easy to Add, But Nothing Is Confirmed

Quick answer: ARC Raiders does not have a permanent PvE mode yet, and Embark has not confirmed one. CEO Patrick Soderlund said adding PvE would be easy for the studio, and almost half the rounds in the October PvE test were played on the PvE server. But Embark is still reviewing the test data, and no date or format has been announced. For now, the game stays PvPvE.

ARC Raiders players have asked for a PvE mode since launch. Now Embark has talked about it in public for the first time in a clear way, and the answer is encouraging but careful. The studio says a PvE mode would be easy to build. It also says it has not decided to build one.

That gap between easy and decided is the whole story. This post covers what Embark actually said, how the October PvE test went, why the studio is holding back, and what players should watch next. Nothing here is a promise of a mode, a date, or a format, because Embark has given none of those.

What Embark actually said

The news comes from an interview with The Game Business, reported by GamesRadar+ and PC Gamer around 7 Nov 2026. Embark CEO Patrick Soderlund spoke about the PvE question directly, and his words are the clearest signal the studio has given so far.

“We could just frankly add PvE. It’s not a difficult thing for us to do, but we didn’t want to obstruct or fiddle too much with the core loop of the game.”

Soderlund also said that maybe people can choose what they like, and that the team cannot ignore the PvE camp. That is a big change in tone from a studio that built ARC Raiders around the tension of PvPvE, where other players are part of the danger in every round.

Executive producer Aleksander Grondal backed up the interest with numbers from the test. He said almost 50 percent of rounds played during the limited PvE test were on the PvE server. That is a strong result for a test that many players treated as a side event.

Who said it	What was said	What it means
Patrick Soderlund, Embark CEO	Adding PvE would not be difficult for the studio	The technical work is not the blocker
Patrick Soderlund, Embark CEO	The team did not want to fiddle too much with the core loop	The design of the game is the real question
Patrick Soderlund, Embark CEO	Maybe people can choose what they like	A choice between modes is on the table as an idea, not as a plan
Aleksander Grondal, executive producer	Almost 50 percent of test rounds were on the PvE server	PvE demand in the test was high

In short:

• Embark can add PvE. The CEO said so in plain words.
• The studio is protecting the core loop that makes ARC Raiders what it is.
• Player demand is real, and Embark says it cannot ignore the PvE camp.
• None of this is a confirmation. No mode has been announced.

The October PvE test

Before this interview, the only real PvE experience in ARC Raiders was a limited test that ran from 13 to 20 Oct 2026. Players could opt into PvE only rounds with no player to player damage. Raiders still fought the ARC machines, looted, and extracted, but other players could not shoot them.

Embark was clear at the time that the test was not a promise of a permanent mode. It was a test, and the studio wanted data on how players used it. That data is now part of the decision, and Grondal says the team is still going through it.

PvE test at a glance	Detail
Test dates	13 to 20 Oct 2026
How it worked	Opt in PvE only rounds, no player to player damage
Share of rounds	Almost 50 percent were played on the PvE server
What Embark said then	The test was not a promise of a permanent mode
Where the decision stands now	Embark is still reviewing the test data

The 50 percent figure matters because it answers the obvious doubt. Some players assumed a PvE server would sit empty while everyone chased PvP fights. The test showed the opposite. Almost half the rounds in that week were PvE rounds, which is why the question will not go away.

In short:

• The test ran for one week in October, with no PvP damage.
• Almost half the rounds were PvE rounds.
• Embark warned from the start that the test was not a promise.
• The studio is still reviewing what the test showed.

Why Embark has not committed yet

If adding PvE is easy, the delay is not about code. It is about what PvE would do to the game. Soderlund pointed straight at the core loop, the mix of looting, fighting machines, and watching for other players that gives every round its tension. Take the other players out, and the round feels different. Embark does not want to damage the thing that makes ARC Raiders work.

Grondal and the team also have wider questions to answer before they commit. A permanent mode touches the economy, the player population, the servers, and event design. Split the players across two modes and both modes get quieter. Add a new mode and the economy has to work for both. These are the questions Embark is still working through, and none of them has a quick answer.

Confirmed	Not confirmed
A PvE test ran from 13 to 20 Oct 2026	A permanent PvE mode
Almost 50 percent of test rounds were PvE rounds	A release date for any PvE mode
Embark says adding PvE would be easy	A format, such as a separate mode or a choice at the start of a round
Embark is still reviewing the test data	Any change to the PvPvE core game

In short:

• The blocker is design, not technology.
• The core loop tension is what Embark wants to protect.
• Economy, population, servers, and events all need answers first.
• The test data review is still going on.

What this means for players right now

Nothing changes in the game today. ARC Raiders is still a PvPvE extraction shooter, and every round still has other players in it. The interview changes the outlook, not the game. Players who wanted PvE now know the studio is listening and that the demand showed up in the test numbers. Players who love PvPvE now know the studio is protecting the core loop rather than rushing a change.

If you are new to the game, the best use of this moment is to get better at the game as it is. Our ARC Raiders best settings and beginner tips guide covers the settings and the early mistakes to avoid. The game is also still riding high on Steam, as covered in our report on ARC Raiders holding the Steam No. 1 spot.

In short:

• The game today is unchanged. It is still PvPvE.
• PvE fans have a real reason for hope, but no promise.
• PvPvE fans have a reason to relax, because Embark is guarding the core loop.
• The smart move is to keep playing and learning the game as it is.

What to watch next

There is no date to wait for, so the thing to watch is Embark itself. The studio will finish its review of the test data first. If a permanent mode follows, expect an announcement through official channels, not a leak or a hint in a stream. Until then, any claim about a PvE release date is a guess, and this post will not repeat one.

Watch for three things. First, any new test, because another test would show Embark is still gathering data. Second, any word on how a mode would work, such as whether players would choose PvE or PvPvE before a round. Third, any word on the economy and population questions, because those are the problems Embark has to solve before it commits.

In short:

• No date exists, so do not wait for one.
• The next real signal is the end of the data review.
• A second test would mean Embark is still deciding.
• Trust official announcements only. Ignore date rumors.

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