ARC Raiders: How the PvE Trial Works and Its Loot Trade-Offs

ARC Raiders will test a PvE matchmaking toggle from October 13 through October 20, 2026. The test lets Raiders move between the standard PvPvE queue and a PvE-only queue where player-to-player damage is fully disabled. The trade-off is straightforward: PvE removes hostile Raider encounters, but carries lower loot value, excludes several high-tension activities, and will disappear when the test ends.

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What the October PvE trial changes

During the limited test, Embark Studios is allowing players to select either PvPvE matchmaking or PvE matchmaking. PvE focuses each run on surviving ARC machines in the Rust Belt while scavenging, exploring, completing quests, and extracting with whatever resources remain available.

The key rule is absolute: Raiders cannot damage, down, or kill other Raiders in PvE sessions. That protection applies to everyone placed in the same match, including strangers. A solo player cannot be attacked by an opposing duo, a trio cannot accidentally shoot a teammate, and a duo cannot turn on another group after reaching an objective.

• Solo, duo, and trio groups are matched together in the same PvE sessions.
• Friends in a squad cannot hurt each other.
• Other groups in the session also cannot hurt you.
• ARC machines remain active and remain the primary combat threat.
• Playing PvE does not affect your PvPvE matchmaking rating during the trial.
• The toggle is temporary and will be removed after October 20, returning matchmaking to the normal PvPvE format.

ARC enemies still determine whether you extract

PvE removes Raider ambushes and friendly-fire problems. It does not remove the extraction pressure created by ARC units. Positioning, ammunition use, aggro management, revives, and deciding when to leave remain relevant because the machines can still end a run.

The downed-state behavior matters in particular. An ARC can reacquire a downed Raider who continues crawling or moving. Remaining still can make the ARC lose interest, creating a safer revive window for a nearby teammate. In a duo or trio, the clean response is to clear or pull aggro first, then revive; crawling toward a teammate can keep the machine focused on the downed player and make that recovery harder.

For solo players, PvE removes the risk that another Raider will finish a vulnerable run. It does not guarantee a recovery after being downed. A solo still has to survive the ARC encounter before the downed state becomes relevant.

Loot, XP, and progression trade-offs

PvE has reduced loot value because hostile player encounters are removed from the risk calculation. Standard PvPvE matchmaking receives slightly higher baseline loot during the test, preserving a clear economic reason to take the queue where every Raider can be an enemy.

Embark has not published a percentage for the PvE loot reduction, an item-by-item multiplier, or a fixed value difference between the two queues. The published trial details establish a loot reduction, but do not provide an XP multiplier or confirm a specific XP penalty. A player can therefore expect lower-value PvE runs, but cannot calculate how many PvE extractions equal one PvPvE extraction from the available figures.

System	PvE trial	Standard PvPvE during the trial	Practical result
Raider damage	Disabled completely	Enabled	PvE removes player ambushes, betrayal, and accidental squad damage.
Loot value	Reduced	Slightly higher baseline loot	PvPvE remains the stronger queue for value per successful extraction.
XP	No published modifier	No published comparison modifier	Do not treat PvE as confirmed reduced-XP matchmaking.
PvPvE matchmaking rating	Unaffected	Used within normal PvPvE matchmaking	PvE sessions do not change your PvPvE rating.
Run failure risk	ARC threats only	ARC threats plus hostile Raiders	PvE should make survival more predictable, while PvPvE pays more for accepting broader danger.

No specific vendor prices, crafting costs, currency rewards, sell values, insurance adjustments, or ARC spawn multipliers have been set out for the trial. The confirmed economy distinction is reduced PvE loot value against slightly better PvPvE baseline loot.

Content unavailable in PvE matchmaking

PvE does not include the complete standard content pool. Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, and Frigate are PvPvE-exclusive during the October test. These activities rely on the uncertainty and confrontation created by hostile Raiders, so the PvE toggle cannot be used to access them safely.

• Night Raids: available only through PvPvE during the trial.
• Hidden Bunker: excluded from PvE matchmaking.
• Locked Gate: excluded from PvE matchmaking.
• Frigate: excluded from PvE matchmaking.

This is the main limitation for players using the mode to progress through all available activities. PvE is suitable for general scavenging, quest work, exploration, and lower-pressure ARC combat. It cannot replace PvPvE when a target requires one of the excluded conditions or locations.

Who benefits most from the PvE queue

Player priority	Better queue during the trial	Reason
Quest completion and map learning	PvE	Other Raiders cannot interrupt an objective, camp an extraction route, or kill a squad during exploration.
Stable co-op with friends	PvE	Duos and trios can fight ARC machines without any friendly-fire risk.
Safer solo scavenging	PvE	Solo players share sessions with groups but cannot be attacked by them.
Highest available loot value	PvPvE	PvPvE has slightly higher baseline loot and retains the full player-driven risk.
Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate, or Frigate	PvPvE	Those activities are excluded from the PvE test.
Testing combat against ARC units without affecting PvPvE rating	PvE	PvE sessions do not alter PvPvE matchmaking rating.

Why the test is structured around risk versus reward

Embark is testing whether a separate co-op-focused experience can exist without flattening the value of standard ARC Raiders matchmaking. The player-distribution data used for the test divides the audience into 37% friendly co-op players, 27% mixed players, and 34% pure PvP players. More than 70% of friendly/cooperative players and 40% of pure PvP players indicated that they wanted fewer hostile encounters, while 51% of the surveyed player base expressed interest in a dedicated PvE option.

The lower PvE loot value, higher PvPvE baseline loot, and four PvPvE-exclusive activities are the balancing controls. They prevent the safer queue from offering identical economic returns and complete access to the full activity pool. Embark is monitoring matchmaking times and the player economy during the October 13-20 window, and the limited trial does not confirm a permanent PvE mode after it ends.